Missing in Time
by WhenTheQuestionIsAsked
Summary: The third installment in the Lost Trilogy. The Doctor and his companions must travel to Atlantis on sinking day to save River with the help of River's companions: Belle and Jimmy. Who is this Belle and why does she hate the Doctor so much? Find out...
1. Chapter 1

**This is the third story in my Lost Trilogy. The other two are Lost in Time and it's prequel is called Forgotten in Time. You do not have to read them but they will help you with this story. I will be combining them all quite soon. Thank you for all your patience. **

**Another note to add: there is a character that is supposed to be cockney and I have tried to make him sound so. Let me know if you think I could change it or if you find him…offensive or stereotypical. And I will change him. Thanks again.**

**Chapter One: The Call That Bids Her **

"What do you mean she isn't here?" the Doctor asked the guard with the thick cockney accent.

The guard was leaning against the bars to River Song's empty cell in the lower level of Stormcage. He looked between the Doctor and Rory, appraising them in such a way that made Rory a little uncomfortable.

Amy was tired of the game they were playing. "Listen, whatever your name is—"

"Reginald." He looked at Rory with sultry eyes. "Reggie for you sweetheart."

Rory turned around and sighed. "Oh God…"

"Where is she!" Amy yelled at the guard.

Reggie looked back at Amy, seemingly bored with her. "I don't know, do I? Listen, I told the other two kids that come through here—"

"What other two kids?" the Doctor interrupted him.

"The annoying blonde girl and the cute American bloke. They come through 'ere every few months, leaving tings for Riv'ar, telling 'er this and that. Never makes no sense. I don't know what all they talk about. Blondie always tells me to go for a cuppa and when I get back they've just gone. They call here a couple a days ago, looking for Ms. Song. When they I says she's not 'ere, the girl 'bout has this fit or sumfink. Says she has to find a way to get in touch with someone called the Doctor." Reggie looked over at the Doctor. "That's your name in'it?"

"Yes." The Doctor said. "But they have to sign papers and forms to get through?"

"Never do, not that I seen. They just come in, right as ya please. But I did catch they's names once. Belle Noel Tyre," he said the name in a snooty way. "And James Johnson. Or Jimmy, but blondie just calls 'im James all the time." Reggie scratched his nose.

"Right, okay, so we need to find them. Or they need to find us. Whatever way we need to get with them." The Doctor smushed his fingers together and turned around. He snapped his fingers and the door to the blue police box that had been sitting off to the side opened and the three of them ran inside leaving a slightly bored looking guard alone in the dark corridor. Only when the big blue box disappeared in a rush of wind and _whoo whoo_ did the guard react.

"Bloody Riv'ar Song." He turned on his heel and walked down the darkened corridor.

"Where are we going to find them Doctor?" Rory asked. "I mean, they could be anywhere."

"Yeah, but they aren't just anywhere." He was typing something into the **TARDIS**'s mainframe. "Alright, there are no results for a Belle Noel Tyre but there are some links for a James Johnson. Alright: born August 21, 1994 in Seattle, Washington. Moved to Washington D.C when he was three, enrolled in various private schools, looks like he was expelled a few times and about two years ago, just went off the map, right after he was caught shoplifting. He had 6 priors."

"Interesting character." Amy grinned.

"Showed up in London a few months later with the mailing address of 358 Fisher Street. Ooh, that _is _interesting."

"What?"

"The house is owned by a Miss Melody Pond." The Doctor smiled.

"So off to 358 Fisher Street." Rory said, gripping the railing until his fists were white.

"I think we will do it the easy way this time, want to give ourselves the element of surprise." The Doctor said smiling.

Rory smiled and let go of the railing. "Really?"

The Doctor smiled wider and pulled down on another gizmo. "Nope!"

The **TARDIS **spun out of control and Rory went flying.

"Geronimo!"

The fat Persian cat purred loudly as Belle rubbed its white, furry head. His eyes were squinted until she could only see a slit of gold topaz.

"You are lucky you know; never have to worry about a thing Byron. You lazy bastard."

The cats head suddenly popped up, his eyes wide, and he began to growl.

"What is it?"

The cat took off suddenly and raised under the wardrobe in the corner of Belle's room.

"'Fraidy cat." Belle hissed at the cat.

Belle pushed all the books and papers and slipped out from under her thick, gold comforter and let her bare feet rest on the cool wooden floor. The floor squeaked as she stepped toward the door.

"Option one: thieves." She whispered as she opened the door and stepped out into the dim lighted hallway. "Option two: James is peckish. Option three: River is back."

Which one is more likely? James is always peckish. Except James' door was still shut tight and she could hear his steady breathing as she crept past.

Different option?

"I know that you haven't eaten in a few hours Amy, but I don't think you should just go poking around in someone else fridge." A male voice drifted up the stairs.

"It's River's place, I doubt she would mind if I had a bit of pasta." Said an annoyed female voice.

Belle's hand slid along the soft stair case railing as she carefully took one step after another. On the landing, Belle reached into a potted plant in the corner and pulled out a small pistol that someone (probably River) put in there just in case. She checked to see if it was loaded, it was, and then continued down the steps, the pistol in her left hand.

"So do you think they are even here?" said the female, Amy, her voice muffled.

"Don't talk with your mouth open." Said a different male voice.

"You're not my mum." Said Amy.

"I doubt they're here. I mean, would two teens living together keep a house this tidy? Nah, River probably has a house keeper. I mean this place is spotless."

"Or someone is real anal about that kind of thing." Said Amy. "Doctor, look at this, there are labels on the food. Belle and James."

"So they _are_ living here, must be upstairs, asleep. Maybe we should just wait until morning.

"Or you could tell me what the hell you are doing in my house, here and now." Belle said, stepping out and pointing the gun at a ginger woman, a blonde man, and a smiling man with the bow tie.

James had always been a heavy sleeper. In fact, for the first six months after he moved into the house on Fisher Street, he had made everyone think he had had a bad case of jet lag. But back then he had been a real ass. In the last year and half, James had tried his best to get up in the morning so that Belle wouldn't have to be alone in the morning. She was never good alone. She thought too much when she was alone and when she thought too much she was a danger to herself. So he was up by eight in the morning, normally leaving her with only half an hour alone. He owed Belle so much, maybe even more than he owed River, and he didn't want her to ever feel alone again.

Point is James was a heavy sleeper. But as soon as the gun shot rocketed throughout the house, he woke up and was down the stairs in five seconds flat.

"What the hell is going on?" he yelled as soon as he saw the smoking pistol in his best friend's shaky hand. There were three other people in the kitchen beside him and Belle. They were all standing there with their hands up. The bottle of milk that had been sitting on the table was broken and milk was dripping off the table.

"It just went off!" Belle yelled. "And hit the milk."

"Why do you have a gun in the first place! I hate guns!" one of the men yelled at her, his bow tie bobbing on his neck.

"Because you have broken into my house!" Belle yelled back, waving the gun at him.

"Your house?" said the ginger near the fridge, a half-eaten apple in her hand. "I thought this was River's house?"

"We live here." James said. "We're her…friends."

The tall blonde man closest to the ginger looked confused. "You sound unsure."

"We're friends." James said with more conviction. "I'm Jimmy and this is Belle. And you are..?"

The man with the bow tie brought down one hand from his position of surrender and pointed the other two. "This is Amy and Rory," Amy and Rory waved their fingers and smiled nervously at the gun. "And I am the Doctor."

Belle froze and Jimmy smiled and jumped into the air with a whoop of joy. He rushed over to the Doctor and shook his still raised hand. "I can't tell you how amazing it is to meet you, we have heard _so _much about you."

"I wish I could say likewise." He looked over at the stunned Belle. "You don't seem as excited to meet us."

Belle looked between the three strangers. The gun was still pointed at the Doctor. She began to shake her head. "You can't be…you can't be him, you don't look like him."

"Who am I supposed to look like?" the Doctor, asked confused. "I wanted to be ginger. But I usually end up not ginger and rude."

"I just…I don't understand." She didn't look angry, just confused and…disappointed.

The Doctor put his hands down and stepped forward, as if she wanted to comfort her. But she didn't see it that way and pointed the gun at him more firmly.

"Oh my God, Belle, give me the damn gun!" James said trying to get it from her.

"Why should I give it to you? Have you ever even used a gun?"

"I'm an American; I knew how to shoot before I could ride a bike without training wheels."

She let him take it. The Doctor was still watching her. She seemed so familiar, like he had met her a thousand times before but never learned her name. Her wavy hair was almost copper in color it was so strawberry. And her eyes were glacier blue. Her lips were full and pink, her cheeks pale and flushed. He had to have met her before!

"Who are you?" he asked peering at her. He pulled out his sonic screw driver and buzzed her with it. "Human. But what kind of human?"

"What do you mean?" she asked stepping back from him. Her eyes flashed. "I'm more human than you."

"Belle!" Jimmy said.

"What is your whole name? Belle Noel Tyre? Belle. Noel. Tyre. Okay beautiful Christmas strength. Your name is Beautiful Christmas Strength? No, something more. Who named you?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "My parents?"

"And where are they? What sixteen year old lives with a time traveling archeologist?"

"An orphan, maybe?" she said as if it was common knowledge.

The Doctor frowned. "The both of you, not siblings?"

"NO!" Jimmy laughed. "We are _not _siblings. At all. Not even a little bit. We are two adults who live together and just happen to occasionally have another adult stop by when she needs to check in. And I speak English. Well, American English, because, I am an American. Not English—British."

Everyone looked at Jimmy who shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"Jimmy's parents are still in America and I'm an orphan."

"Right?" the Doctor said. He clapped his hands. "Anyways, so where is our mutual friend, mmm?"

Belle smiled. Even her smile seemed so familiar. "Here's the thing _Doctor_, we are not telling you anything until we are on the **TARDIS**."

The Doctor laughed. "What?"

Jimmy looked at him apologetically. "We have orders Doctor, sir. Sir Doctor."

"Oh I like that, Sir Doctor. Orders from whom?"

Bell and Jimmy: "River Song."

"And what are those orders?"

Neither of them said anything but exchanged glances. Jimmy put his hands in his pockets. "Well, we aren't really at liberty to say. The whole time and space messy-uppie-ness. We can't. River just said to _ask nicely_—" he looked pointedly at Belle. "For a ride and then we we're supposed to go and follow the rest of the directions."

"So there is more?"

"Not yet, they'll be here when we get back."

"Okay then. Guess we'll have to do what you say."

"So if we take five minutes to go pack you're not just going to disappear?" Jimmy asked.

Amy laughed.

The Doctor ignored her. "Yes, we will be."

"Great!" Jimmy grabbed Belle's hand and pulled. "Let's go Bells."

Belle allowed herself to be pulled away but her piercing blue eyes didn't leave the Doctor's until she was pulled from the room.

"I think she's lying." Amy said, biting into her browning apple.

Rory was on his knees under the table, wiping up milk from the broken bottle. "About what?"

"I don't think she is an orphan. I think we know her parents."

"What are you going on about now?" The Doctor said, tuning in, he was too was eating an apple, part of the smiley face that Amy had carved on it was still visible.

"I think she is your daughter."

Rory's head shot up so fast that it hit the bottom of the table and the Doctor began to choke on his apple. Once they had recovered from their initial shock they both looked at her with wide, tear dampened eyes. "I _beg _yourpardon?"

"Oh come on didn't you see those eyes?" she said through a mouthful of apple. "They were totally yours."

The Doctor looked like he was on the verge of insanity. "You think that she's _my_ daughter?"

"Well not just yours of course; River's as well."

"But that would mean…we would have to….do more than—" he puckered his lips and made kissy noises. "And what do you mean she has my eyes? They are nothing like mine."

"Well not color-wise but they have that same…look." Amy dropped her apple core in the rubbish bin and began to dig around in the fridge again.

"What look?"

"That 'I am wise and all knowing' look. The only difference is that her eyes don't seem to have the same age as yours." She bit into a fat dill pickle.

"_She is not my daughter_." The Doctor said defiantly.

"She is! I bet she has a Time Head and everything!" Amy was enjoying his discomfort and the quiet mantra of "I am not hearing this" from under the table.

"What's a Time Head?" said Belle as she walked back into the kitchen. She was dressed and wearing make-up. She wore all in red. Her beanie, her glasses, her boots. All was red but the black dress pants, the small black designer suitcase, and cracked leather bag she held.

"That's my bag!" the Doctor pointed out giddily. "I gave that to River just a few weeks ago!"

"I've had this for years." She looked at him, confused.

"Well I gave it to her a few weeks ago. And she is supposed to give it to Rose, who—" the Doctor stopped.

"Rose?"

"Rose Tyler, old friend. Doesn't matter."

"Anyways, we have to take this to her cell in Stormcage." She held up the leather bag. "Then she will do with it what she will, none of our business."

Jimmy had joined them now and was smiling widely. His hair was still a bed ragged mess and he had sleepies in the corner of his eyes. "Ready?"

Belle nodded and left the room, over her shoulder she called: "Lock the door behind you."

Jimmy gave them all an apologetic look and they made their way out of the house.

"Oh. My. God. Oh my God! Oh my God!"

The Doctor grinned from ear to ear. "I love this part."

"It really is bigger on the inside!"

Amy and Rory laughed at Belle and Jimmy's childlike amusement.

"I wasn't like that." Rory said proudly.

Amy smiled. "I was."

Belle and Jimmy were jumping up and down with glee. The Doctor joined them, laughing and smiling along with him. When Belle noticed she stopped and stepped out of the little semi-circle with the look of disgust on her face, but Jimmy and the Doctor kept jumping together and giggling.

"Are you two about done?" Belle asked. "Because, we could always leave you here while we go save River?"

Jimmy stopped jumping and looked at her. "We have been waiting for this for years Belle, can't you stop being a bitch long enough to enjoy it?"

Belle was obviously taken aback by this, but she didn't comment on it.

Amy broke the awkward silence. "S'pose we should get going?"

The Doctor hoped up to the consul. "What time are we going?"

Belle told him and the Doctor put in the date.

Jimmy looked a bit uneasy. "Is this going to hurt?" he asked Rory.

"Not if you hold on." Rory whispered back.

Jimmy wrapped his hands around the railing in the same way Rory was. He was about to warn Belle when the Doctor shouted "Geronimo!" and it was too late.

"You could have given me a little warning ahead of time!" Belle said as she rubbed her head. She had hit it on one of the stair railings.

Jimmy was still a little mad at her, but apologized anyways. "I tried, though."

Belle looked into the leather bag. "It seems fine."

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"It's the Diviner." The Doctor said.

Belle and Jimmy gave him a surprised look. Belle shook her head. "How could you possible know that?"

"I gave it to River."

Amy asked if she could see it, but Belle shook her head. "River said that it is very…delicate."

"I know, I've used it before." Amy said. "So why do you have it?"

"She gave it to me, to give to her, to give to—"

"Rose." The Doctor finished.

"Yes." Belle said. "Rose Tyler. You mentioned her before."

"Anyways…" Jimmy said. "We have to take this to her…now."

"Right, well, I've landed us _in _Stormcage, so you should just be able to walk down the hall a bit, give her the Diviner. And then we go back and get the rest."

Belle and Jimmy stepped out, Belle still fixing her beanie. The Doctor watched them as they walked down the darkened hallway. Jimmy was whispering excitingly about time travel. Belle looked back once and saw the Doctor watching. She looked nervous, the Doctor gave her a reassuring nod and then she disappeared into the dark.

Belle could hear her heart beating in the dark. She held onto the leather bag containing the Diviner and reached out and found Jimmy's free hand in the dark. He squeezed it reassuringly.

"We're going to be fine Belle, just—"

"Who goes there?" called a voice from the dark.

Belle and Jimmy froze as a Stormcage guard stepped out of the darkness.

"Who are you?"

"Remember what River always said?" Jimmy whispered. "Be confident. Be yourself."

Belle took a deep breath. "We're here to see River Song."

"Like 'ell you are." The guard said. "Riv'ar doesn't get visitars."

"Take us to see her Reggie." Belle said with conviction. She squeezed Jimmy's hand harder.

"'ow do you know my name?"

"Because we're time travelers." Jimmy said proudly.

Reggie looked at him, seeing him for the first time. His eyes widened. "Well hullo."

"Hi." Jimmy pried his now aching hand out of Belle's grasp and waved. "Would you please take us to see River."

Reggie smiled. "Yea, sure, yea. Follow me."

_Why is Jimmy so good at this?_ Belle wondered.

They walked a little ways in the dimly lit, cold corridor, until the guard asked them to stop so that he could see if River was even there. Apparently she often just left. Jimmy and Belle tried hard not to grin at this.

Nearly two silent minutes later, Reggie told them they could come see her and they took a deep breath as they walked farther down the hall. River sat in a cell alone. She looked nearly bored to see them. She looked younger than that last Time River had seen her. But this River had never even heard of Belle Tyre or James Johnson. Unsure of how to really proceed, Belle just smiled. "Hullo, my name is Belle Noel Tyre and this is James Johnson."

"Jimmy." Jimmy raised his hand in the air. "Hello."

"American?" River said, surprised.

"What gave me away?"

"The accent was a contributing factor."

"Ah, yes that gets me every time."

Belle thought it was funny how obsessed James would get about not "fitting in". It drove him crazy that he didn't have an accent. She was constantly reminding him that he _did _have an accent. Belle shook her head at the thought. "Are we really having this conversation again?" she looked at River, apologetically. "It's a bit of an obsession of his."

River nodded. "Writing a paper on me are you?"

Belle and Jimmy glanced at each other.

"This is _so _weird." Jimmy whispered to her. "I mean _her _meeting _us_."

"Well it was going to happen eventually James." She whispered back.

River leaned forward with a smile and whispered "You do realize that this is a very small cell and that I can hear everything you are saying, since you are less than two feet away from me, don't you?"

Belle blushed.

"How old are you two? You can't be more than twenty."

"James is seventeen and I am sixteen."

"You're young, how did you get involved with…whatever it is you are here for?"

Belle and Jimmy exchanged another glance. It was James who answered as Belle eyed Reggie who shouldn't have been there. "We can't tell you that, sorry."

River nodded and leaned back, her eyes focused on Belle. "Tyre? That is a very unusual surname isn't it?"

"So is Song or…Pond." Belle smiled a bit. It felt oddly satisfying to see River look confused. But she thought this might get River's attention to how important this was.

River froze. "Reggie, why don't you go get a cup of tea?"

Reggie glanced up from Jimmy's backside. "I'm not s'posed to leave you alone

with…guest."

"If she's going to run away, she's going to run away." Jimmy pointed out.

"Yes, go ahead and grab a cuppa tea, Reg." Belle said, smiling a charming smile, showing her straight white teeth.

Reggie gave them both a suspicious looks but turned and left. River stood and stared at them.

"Who are you?"

"Spoilers Ms. Song, spoilers." Belle reached into the leather bag and pulled out the Diviner. Her life, her soul purpose in life for the past ten years was this moment. It had been everything she had strived and fought for. The Diviner gleamed in the fluorescent lights.

"What is that?"

"It is a Model 4 Diviner." Belle said. Should River know what that was? What if this wasn't the right River? "Do you…know what that is?"

"Vaguely."

"It is a type of device used to—" Belle began but Jimmy put a hand on her arm.

"It is all explained in the letter, Bells. Just give it to her." he said, pulling out a long manila envelope from the leather bag and handing it to River, who took it hesitantly. He clearly wasn't afraid that this wasn't the right River.

Belle nodded and handed the disk over to River. She just put the envelope under her arm and took the disk in both of her hands, looking it over.

"Careful, it can be…touchy." Belle backed up a bit.

"So what else can you tell me?" River said, eyeing them.

"Whatever you need to know is in there." Jimmy said nodding to the envelope and put a hand on Belle's upper arm, pulling her out of the cell. It was time to go, but Belle felt like she should say something more. Maybe thank you? Or what made you decide you wanted to take a six year old in off the streets when you knew nothing about her. Maybe a thank you would have been simpler, but Belle wasn't getting the chance; Jimmy was pulling her from the cell, maybe sensing that she was about to say more than she should. Belle bit her lip and allowed herself to be pulled from the room.

River stepped out of the cell with them, watching them back away. "Wait, when will I see you again?"

"_You _won't see us for quite some time."

"What do you mean that I won't? What, you will?"

Jimmy looked at the tight lipped Belle. "She said she would be by for lunch on Sunday, right?"

Belle nodded, but that was a joke. She always said she would be there for lunch on Sunday, but she never was. Not once. She couldn't take her eyes off of River.

"What is it Miss Tyre?"

"I-I…" she looked up at James who gave her a gentle frown. She looked back at River. "It was lovely meeting you Riv-Ms. Song."

"'It was lovely meeting you Ms. Song?'" Jimmy laughed as he pulled Belle through the darkness. There was water running somewhere.

Belle stopped cold. "Do you hear that?"

He stopped too and listened. "I think it's just a storm drain outside. Nothing to worry about."

Belle couldn't see his face too well in the dark but his voice was comforting. They started moving again, the sound of rushing water becoming dimmer as they moved. Belle didn't like water. Rushing, swirling water. Currents.

"There you are. Did you get it done?" The Doctor asked as they found him. He was leaning on the **TARDIS**.

"You didn't have to wait out here for us to get back." Belle said a little put off that he thought they couldn't handle this. Even if she had done a shotty job at it.

"I wasn't." he hiked his thumb back at the police box. "Amy and Rory are snogging in there. I don't think they've come up for air since you left."

"Do they often just start making out?" Jimmy asked.

"Occasionally. But most the time they begin in there and THEN MOVE TO THEIR ROOM!" The Doctor ended the sentence by calling into the police box pointedly.

"Shut up!" Rory called.

"I don't know what got into them. I see you off, go back in, and they are snogging and Rory is crying. Rory cries and Amy thinks it is just adorable." The Doctor shook his head. "He cries as much as Stormy."

Belle looked to Jimmy for an explanation. He shook his head and she looked back to the Doctor. "I'm sorry, were we supposed to understand any of that?"

"Just come on." The Doctor pushed open the **TARDIS** doors. He called in. "We're coming in now, whether you like it or not!"

They waited a few more seconds before walking in. Amy and Rory were laughing and smiling and hugging.

"Eehhh, eww, okay, now we go back to Fisher?" the Doctor asked Belle as Amy and Rory kissed again.

She nodded and quickly grabbed the railing behind her.

The Doctor shook his head. "We'll take it slowly out of here. The whole atmosphere is made up of what you could call a firewall. It'll take us a few minutes to get out of here safely."

Belle let go hesitantly. The police box made the noise and they gently rocked. The Doctor looked utterly bored. He looked over at Jimmy and Belle.

"So, what has River told you about me?"

Jimmy nodded. "We have heard so much about you, you're a hero to us."

"Heroes don't exist." She said without looking at anyone.

Jimmy grimaced. "How do you figure that?"

"Heroes are what we call idiots who just happened to get something right." She said offhandedly, like she was talking about the weather. "Few of us have that urge to be one of those idiots in the back of our heads and some have to the urge to believe in those few and make them out to be someone or something they're not."

Jimmy was shaking his head. "What is up with you Belle?"

"What, now I'm not allowed to give my opinion?"

"Not when you are nutso about it."

The Doctor was watching Belle like an insect. "Have you ever wonder what makes you keep pushing forward, you crazy little humans? What makes some of you into heroes? Hmm? It's not some archaic instinct in the back of your squishy little brains that tells you to survive no matter what, it's that need to make it all right. To actually live, not just survive and be good while doing it."

"Is that all it is?" Belle pushed. "Or is it something deeper than that?"

"What do you mean?"

"No one is just that good Doctor, everybody wants something, needs something. Or someone. They need to feel that burning desire of being admired by those around them like they were a God. There are no heroes Doctor and you are just an old man who has seen more than any man should. Not a hero or a God just a man."

"I never said I was a hero."

"And another thing: you don't know me. You don't know James. Don't pretend like you do, because you just don't."

The Doctor didn't say anything as he and Belle started each other down.

"Belle...?" Jimmy said putting a hand on her tensed shoulders. "Why don't we go have a not crazy moment over here?"

"I've heard all the stories Doctor. Stories about a man of legend saving whole solar systems and species. Saving people from their boring lives." Belle didn't move but simply said. "You can't save everyone Doctor, least of all me."

…_You can't save everyone._

"What did you just say?"

Belle said nothing else and let Jimmy pull her out of the room.

"What is it Doctor?" Amy asked.

The Doctor ignored the question and turned around with a big smile on his face. He looked at the monitor as Rory and Amy started to snog again. Rose Tyler had stood exactly where Belle had just stood, weeks ago, and told him _"…you can't save everyone"_. He knew he couldn't save everyone. But he would sure as hell try. He wondered if Rose or any of the rest of his companions understood that? Maybe that is what Rose meant, when she had said that, that she understood that. The Doctor pulled down on one of the controls and let the thought go. He didn't want to think about Rose anymore.

"So how about we go and rescue River, eh?"

"What's going on with you Belle?" Jimmy asked her as soon as they were safe and out of ear shot from the others. "You've always talked about how amazing the Doctor is and now when you finally get the chance to meet him, you treat him like a chewed up pen. What happened to change your opinion so quickly?"

Belle couldn't look at him. "I just thought he would look like…someone else."

"You're mad because he doesn't look right?" Jimmy said disbelievingly. "Right. 'Cause that makes a lot of sense."

"It's just…I had this image in my mind of who he would look like and that man out there isn't it."

Jimmy grabbed her face and made her look at him. "Listen Belle, I know that you're kinda messed up—I've known for years and I have accepted it. But this is just weird. So I have a plan: let's rescue River and go back home. We will forget all about this and get some of that weird goat cheese from that hippie place on Brooks. Sound good?"

Despite the anger Belle still felt she laughed; Jimmy_ hated _that cheese. Jimmy kissed her forehead. "Can we go and act like we aren't just some kids that River found wandering about London?"

Belle slapped him playfully. "You were found in London, I was found in Cardiff."

Jimmy shrugged, still holding her hand. "Same diff."

"Not even close, Cardiff is in Whales."

"Eh. You say ta-ma-to, I say ta-may-to."

"Actually I do say ta-ma-to."

"Oh just stop it, let's go." Jimmy pulled Belle back towards the others.

They joined the others. Rory and Amy were giggling with each other. But the Doctor was nowhere in sight.

"Where's the Doctor?" Jimmy asked.

"Outside. We've landed." Rory answered, his eyes still focused on his wife.

The house on 358 Fisher Street was darkened and had the lonely look about it, the look the Doctor got when he was alone for too long of a time.

And then the red door opened. The Doctor stood a little ways back into the shadows. It was Belle. The Doctor was confused: how had she gotten in there without him seeing? The Doctor peeked in through the small crack in the doors on the police box. He could see Belle's red sweater and here her voice as she talked to Amy and Rory. Which meant…

There was a different Belle coming down the steps of 358 Fisher. She walked quickly, but didn't really seem to have a purpose. She wore dark jeans and white blouse. Her heels clicked as they reached the cobble path. He passed by the Doctor, not even seeing the man in the bushes.

"Belle?" he couldn't stop himself.

The girl stopped and turned slowly. The Doctor stepped out of the shadows and waved at her. "Hullo."

Belle looked completely shocked. She glanced behind him at the police box.

"Am I in there?" she asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Where are you from?"

A Time Vortex manipulator was on her wrist. She looked different, very different. She didn't have the organized look that the present Belle had. Her hair was wavy and had a streak of some dark color in it. A nose stud glinted in the light from the lamppost. She looked older, not just in age, but in the way she held herself, like she had some kind of weight on her shoulders. Like the weight of the world.

"Six years in _her_ future." She nodded at the blue box, but never took her eyes off of him. She was looking at him differently, like one might look at a person they hadn't seen a while but knew well enough to be excited to see again.

"Who are you Belle?"

She smiled. "I'm just dropping off some things for River."

"That's not what I asked."

"I know."

"Doctor!" called Amy from the **TARDIS**.

"I've got to go Doc." She said with a smile. "I will see you soon though, alright?"

And with a little wave of her fingers and a flash of white light, she disappeared into thin air.

"What was that?" Amy said stepping out, Belle at her side.

"Street light flickering." He said in a dismissing voice. "Shall we go in?"

"I'm just saying that I told you to lock the damn door, behind you." Belle said turning the light on in the library.

"And I'm just saying that I did!" Jimmy replied plopping down on the couch.

"Then why was it unlocked?"

"I know I locked it and you will not convince me I didn't."

"Oh, would you two just stop it!" Amy said, sitting down in a wing back chair. "You guys argue like a married couple."

This hushed Jimmy up. Belle looked around the room.

"So what makes you think that River would have left them in here?" Rory asked, leaning against the wall.

Belle looked a little confused. "Well, actually…I don't. I just have a feeling that it is in here."

The Doctor, who hadn't said much since seeing the future Belle outside, looked at her. Was it possible that the presence of the both of them was giving her some sort of secret connection.

"When I was left on my own, I would leave my school work on the desk in here so River could look over it when she came through. So it makes sense she would leave the rest of the message in here."

The Doctor laughed as Belle pulled a very old looking stack of papers sandwiched together between two thin pieces of wood and bound in a leather tie off of the desk. Belle smiled from ear to ear and showed them the cover.

"What is that?" Amy asked, leaning forward.

The Doctor smiled as he read the cover. "Really, you think that is where she is?"

"What is it?" Rory asked.

Rory, Amy, and Jimmy gathered around to read.

"Plato?" Rory asked reading the words inscribed in gold on the cover. "Where is Plato?"

"Not where, Mr. Williams, but who." Belle smiled. "Plato was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who is famous for his written works on the lost city of Atlantis."

Amy smiled broadly. "You think she is in Atlantis? Like _the _Atlantis? The lost city?"

"Correct."

"But it is just a myth. I mean the _lost city of Atlantis_." Rory said. He looked at the Doctor. "It's not real is it?"

The Doctor didn't say anything but the look of pure excitement told everyone that it was, in fact, real.

Rory sighed in defeat. "Well that tops it. I am sure that if you told me that there was a planet completely made of blue hedge hogs that sang show tunes, I would probably believe you."

The Doctor nodded. "Well they are not blue, more periwinkle and its smooth jazz."

Rory groaned and whispered through his teeth "Of course."

"So are we going to Atlantis or not?" Amy pushed.

"What is the message?" The Doctor asked.

Belle pulled a loose scrap of paper out the old book. "It's a poem by Guy Wetmore Carryl:

'Long leagues above her courts the stately days advancing  
Kindle new dawns and see new sunsets dim;  
And, white and weary-eyed, the old stars, backward glancing,  
Reluctant pause upon the ocean's rim.  
But she, of dawns and dusks forgotten and forgetful,  
Broods in her depths with slumber-weighted eyes;  
For all her splendid past unanxious, unregretful,  
She waits the call that bids her wake and rise.'"

"And there are the number sequences written on the bottom of the page: 7:7, 7:8, 7:12, and 7:18." Once Belle finished reading she handed the paper to the Doctor who just handed it to Amy who handed it to Rory, who gave it back to Belle.

"But why would she go to Atlantis?"

Jimmy looked at Belle but looked away quickly, but she was scribbling something on the page. This was not unnoticed by the Doctor.

"What? What was that?" he said pointing between the two.

Jimmy ignored him. "Do you think it was her?"

Belle nodded, as she circled something on the page. "Yes, that's what she made it sound like on the phone."

"What?" The Doctor asked again.

Jimmy shrugged. "A few years ago, River went and saw a woman named the Acquirer for a…favor; long story short, River owed that woman a favor in return. This has to be it. It explains all the secrecy."

"The Acquirer?"

Belle shook her head. "Whole other story."

"So River is in Atlantis and she wants us to meet her there?" Rory asked.

"No I think it is more than that. I think she is in trouble." Belle said.

"Why?" Amy asked.

Belle grabbed the paper from Rory again. "'For all her splendid past unanxious, unregretful, she waits the call that bids her wake and rise'?"

Everyone looked at each other and then back at Belle, confused.

She looked at them as if they were all idiot children. "7:7, 7:8, 7:12, and 7:18? Line 7 and words 7, 8, 12, and 18?"

Belle showed them all the page where she had circled different letter. The circled letters spelled out the word HELP.

"Help." Amy read. "Okay so we go and help her."

Rory looked queasy. "Please tell me we aren't going on the day it sunk."

The Doctor waved the idea off. "No, of course not. Except we are because that is the only date that makes sense."

"Why?" Amy asked.

"Because when their world is crashing down around them, I would think the Atlanteans would be rushing about trying to save themselves and not worried about their greatest treasure." Belle grinned.

Amy piped up at this. "Treasure? What treasure?"

"The two Tablets of Moyo." Belle smiled. "According to Plato those tablets were basically blueprints to technology that shouldn't have even been possible to achieve much less conjure up in that time. Blue prints to cars, tanks, planes, submarines. And the vault."

"What vault?" Rory leaned forward to listen.

"The vault that had all the riches of Atlantis in it. Gold that would be worth billions of pounds today."

"And that's what she's going to get, gold?"

"No the Tablets. The Acquirer is a time traveler she can go back and get the gold whenever she wants. Any _time_ she wants. If she has the Tablets she has a detailed map to the vault. A piece of apple pie."

Belle said the last sentence with a bad American accent. Everyone looked at her and with a look. Jimmy leaned down and whispered in her ear. "We talked about this. You are cute enough being British. Or Welsh. Or whatever the hell you are."

Belle didn't waste time correcting him but glanced at the Doctor. "Do you know when we are going?"

The Doctor turned on his heel and walked out the study door. With one last look at Belle, he whispered "Geronimo."

**If you see any grammatical errors please let me know so I can fix it. Thank you, see you again soon!**

** Sorry it took so long Abbs813!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Lovely Lost**

There is a story of a beauteous land,  
Where fields were fertile and where flowers were bright;  
Where tall towers glistened in the morning light,  
Where happy children wandered hand in hand,  
Where lovers wrote their names upon the sand.  
They say it vanished from all human sight,  
The hungry sea devoured it in a night.  
You doubt the tale? ah, you will understand;  
For, as men muse upon that fable old,  
They give sad credence always at the last,  
However they have caviled at its truth,  
When with a tear-dimmed vision they behold,  
Swift sinking in the ocean of the Past,  
The lovely lost Atlantis of their Youth.

-Ella W. Wilcox

"Where's Belle?" Jimmy asked as he tightened the belt on his gear.

"Still changing!" Belle called from the 'Closet'.

The Closet was the room off to the side of the consul where all the clothes were kept for the different times in case they were needed. Everyone but the Doctor had chosen clothes from the Atlantic era with a set of what Belle called "stereotypical adventure gear" of capris, tank tops, and big trekking boots underneath.

Belle joined them, wearing a light blue gown. The Doctor did a head count.

"It is two days from Sinking Day so we should have enough time to find River, get what we have to get, and get out of there in time for—"

"Everyone to die." There was a silent moment after Amy's comment.

The Doctor nodded. "Are you all ready?"

They all shuffled out of the police call box and into the beautiful world of…

"Is this an alley?" Amy said holding her nose.

They were standing in a small, dark crevice between to large edifices. And it did indeed smell _awful_. There were food scraps, moldy and rotten, all along the sides of the two buildings they were stuck between. The Doctor covered his face with the palm of his hand and pushed them forward. They were suddenly on a cobblestone street, amongst throngs of people.

Jimmy nodded a few times in a look of resignation. "We're in New York."

Belle shook her head but said doubtfully. "We're in Atlantis."

And they were. Carts of clothes, jewelry, bread, fish, and various fruits that Belle didn't recognize were clumped along the street. People were yelling and calling out to one another. There must have been a thousand people in the little market. The air was hot and thick with humidity.

The Doctor pushed through, trying not to step on anyone's toga.

"It's like rush hour." Jimmy said, dodging a large man with a melon the size of his head.

"Doctor, do you even know where we are going?" Amy asked from behind Belle.

"No, but I will when we get there." The Doctor called back.

People didn't seem to realize they were there and ignored them as they fought through the crowed. Finally they found another smelly alley that brought them to a nearly empty street where just a few children played.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screw driver and started pointing at all the surrounding buildings as his companions and the intrigued children watched.

The Doctor began to run down the street and his companions chased after him.

"What are we running from?" Rory called, looking behind them.

"We're not running from, we're running to." The Doctor stopped suddenly in front of a purple stone house. It was bigger than the other houses around it and seemed to scream wealthy people live in me.

The door opened a bit and a woman poked her head out. "May I help you?"

"We're looking for River Song." The Doctor told her.

The woman opened the door for them and they stepped in. It was at least twenty degrees cooler in the stone house. Stone bowls with corks in their sides held large quantities of melting ice. A small girl was empty the bowl into another bowl by pulling the cork out and letting the ice water out. She reached into a leather sack at her feet and started scooping for ice into it.

"How old is she?" Amy asked the woman who had shown them in.

The woman shook her head as if to say she didn't know or didn't care enough to find out. "I will take you to River Song."

They followed her through several rooms all filled with pillows and food. They passed another small child emptying a stone bowl. At last they entered a room that appeared to be a library, passing through a heavy felt draping over the door. There was no ice bowls in this room and it felt hotter and dryer than it had outside. And at a stone desk in the corner sat River Song.

"Hello sweeties. It didn't take as long as I thought it would." River said, eyeing Belle. "I wasn't expecting you here for at least another day or two."

"We wanted to come as soon as possible." Belle told her and hugged her.

"Did you tell him yet?" River whispered in her ear.

Belle shook her head curtly and stepped away for everyone else to have their turn.

When it was the Doctor's turn, they just stared at one another for a moment until he embraced her.

"If I didn't know you any better I would have thought you missed me." she told him.

"Well it's a good thing you know me better."

The woman who showed them in poked her head into the library again. "Dinner is served."

"Thank you Stella." River said stiffly. Once the woman had retreated Belle told them that Stella was ghastly.

"Whose house is this River?" Jimmy asked. "You can't tell me you own a home here too."

"It's my friend's." River said. "You will meet them at dinner. Come on."

"These are my friends: Amy, Rory, Jimmy, Belle, and the Doctor." River introduced them to Ryhl and Juni, the couple who owned the house.

They were a beautiful couple in their thirties. Juni had hair the color of fresh soil and deep green eyes that seem to remain smiling even when she wasn't (though she hadn't stopped smiling since they had walked in the room). Ryhl was tall and long, thick blonde hair that was braided in the back. His lips were full. He looked more feminine than manly. They had a ten year old daughter, Maya, who was the mirror image of her mother. She smiled shyly at Amy who waved to her.

"It is an honor to meet friends of River." Ryhl said, sounding like he meant it.

They sat down at the long, thick wood table as servants brought out plates of food.

"Will your son be joining us?" River asked.

Ryhl stiffened. "Yes, soon."

They ate in silence for a bit. Belle felt like she would go mad with questions when suddenly a tall brown hair young man came into the room. Everyone froze and Belle dropped the bread she was eating.

The young man wore no shirt to cover is massive glistening chest and arms. His pants were more skirt-like, like a long kilt with leggings. His hair was wet and stuck to his head.

"Really Ripple?" Ryhl sighed, nodding to his sons attire—or lack of one.

"You told me to get here as soon as possible." Ripple sat down across from Belle. "It is raining by the way."

Belle was staring at him openly, unaware she was doing it. Ripple smiled at her and Belle nodded hello and looked down at the large fish staring up at her, waiting to be eaten.

Jimmy looked from the awestruck Belle to Ripple. _Oh hell_ he thought sadly.

"Please pardon my son's manners." Juni asked sipping her wine, through pursed lips, her eyes still smiling.

"He's pardoned." Amy and Belle said together.

The rest of the meal passed a bit awkwardly after that.

After dessert of some sort of fruit pastry made with local berries and goat's cheese, Juni said they should go out onto the balcony to watch the rain fall on the river.

The balcony, so far, was the most amazing thing about the house. It was larger than the dining room had been and hung out far over the cliff face that dropped into the river. It was covered and the rain did not come through. Ryhl and Juni claimed it was structurally sound but the companions waited for the Doctor to sonic it first before stepping on.

The city was laid out before them. Lights dotted the hillside on the far side of the giant river. Boats and small ships floated in the marinas and a few even dared to stay out in the massive down pour. It was breath taking, plain and simple.

"Where is it you are from?" Ripple asked Belle getting closer to where her and Jimmy stood.

"London." She said without thinking.

"Where is that?"

River came to Belle's rescue. "It is far east of here. It is very near where I live."

"And how do you know each other?"

"I'm a friend of Jimmy's father and I'm Belle's godmother."

The Doctor nearly choked on the piece of bread he was still chewing. _River, a godmother?_

"Where are your parents?" Maya asked.

"Maya!" Juni scolded her daughter.

"It's fine Juni." Belle knelt down and brushed a strand of hair out of the little girl's eyes. Her voice was soft and warm. "My parents are far, far away, with my little sister."

"Do you ever get to see them?"

Belle nodded. "In my dreams, every night." The words sounded like a rueful promise.

Maya hugged Belle.

The Doctor watched her for a moment. She hadn't just lost her parents but her sister too. She was alone. Like him.

Once Belle and Maya had parted, Jimmy came up close to her, letting her know that she was there. And in the dark, as they listened to the sky unleash its holy fury on the river, Belle wrapped her fingers in Jimmy's tightly. The Doctor saw this and realized she wasn't alone, not really. He smiled as he looked out over the marina and the rain continued to fall.

"How can it not bother you that all these people are going to be dead in just a matter of days?" Belle asked River.

River stared straight into her goddaughter's angry face. The Doctor and his companions had been in Atlantis for nearly two days and River and Belle had been arguing since that night on the balcony.

"It does bother me, it bothers me very much Belle, but the fact of the matter is we can't save them."

Jimmy and Rory were playing a makeshift version of chess, sighing each time Belle and River started arguing again. They had been trying to get a precise map of the chambers that led to the vault so they would know how to maneuver down there since it had been decided it was too dangerous to land the **TARDIS **somewhere they didn't know the layout of.

Amy told River to lower her voice a bit, afraid that someone would hear them talking about Sinking Day.

"The Scrambler is on." The Doctor said. "If they could hear us it would just sound like gibberish."

Amy nodded at Belle (whose side she had unofficially taken in this argument) and Belle continued.

"Just them, please, just them, just so…"

"Belle, I'm sorry, but it's just not going to work. Atlantis is a fixed point in time!"

Belle looked at the Doctor who was thinking about the time he had this conversation with Donna Noble. "You did it for the family in Pompeii!"

"How do you know about that?"

Before Belle could answer, Stella came in the room. "Master Ripple wishes to speak with Lady Belle."

Belle stood straighter. "Inform him that I will be there in a moment."

The woman looked at her in confusion. Belle realized that the scrambler was still on. She heard the sonic screw driver and then she repeated the statement. The woman nodded curtly an eye the Doctor, who had tucked the screw driver in his pocket deftly, before leaving.

Jimmy looked up from the game. "What does Pecamungus want now?"

Amy laughed.

"He wants to show me around the city."

"Is that smart, I mean, the last thing we need is for you to get lost in Atlantis the day before it…"

"I'm not going to get lost." Belle said, fixing her toga/dress.

"Yeah, just in his eyes." Amy laughed, biting into some pastry. "Anyways, there's a better chance she'll drown."

Jimmy and River froze, their eyes focusing on Belle, waiting for some sort of reaction.

Sensing the distress, the Doctor asked what was wrong.

Belle shook her head without looking at anyone. "Nothing." She left the room.

Amy was the first to speak. "Her family…did they…"

No one answered, but Jimmy got up and went after Belle, hoping to catch her before she met up with Ripple.

"Who is she River?" The Doctor said after a few minutes of awkward researching.

"What?" River didn't look up from her scroll.

"Belle, who is she?"

"She's an old friend's daughter."

"What old friend?"

"What does it matter?"

"Because I want to know."

River sighed in defeat. "I don't think this is going to get us anywhere."

"Then just answer the question."

"I meant this scroll, it just keeps talking about the trials."

"What trials?" Amy asked through a mouthful of her third pastry.

"The Trials of Good Fortune." Jimmy said watching the doorway, hoping Belle would return.

"What are the Trials of Good Fortune?" Rory asked.

"It is supposed to be some sort of security system." River eyed Jimmy. "How did you know about that, this is the first scroll so far that has had anything about it?"

"Belle found it interesting and told me all about it when she read about it online."

River put her head in her hands. "The one time I wish we had the all mighty power of the internet."

"So…what are the Trials of Good Fortune?" Amy asked, flicking through the scrolls she had been reading. "I haven't seen anything about them."

"There are four trials to test purity of each who try to get to the vaults. Trial by Fire, Trial by Earth, Trial by Water, and Trial by Truth. "

"That is terrifying." Rory said. "It almost sounds like a witch hunt."

"So why is it that they all sound like some kind of earth power thing until it gets to truth?" Jimmy asked.

"Because you don't truly show you are worthy until you reach the Truth." River said in her own cryptic way. "No one really does."

The Doctor was unusually quiet. How could Belle possible know about the family from Pompeii? Did he, in some Time, tell River, who told Belle? And what about the meeting with the future Belle, who was so much more different than the Belle he saw only moments before, so calm and collect? It was digging into his mind, rooting itself until he felt as if he would go mad.

_Because you don't truly show you are worthy until you reach the Truth._

"Where are you taking me?" Belle laughed as she was pulled through the crowds of people, animals, carts, and buildings. She still couldn't believe she was in Atlantis, surrounded by what was possibly the most advance culture in history. They passed bikes and wooden carts that resembled small autos than actually carts. There was an actual street designed for these carts. Belle wished she had a camera.

"I'm taking you to my favorite place in all of the city." They were no longer on the street, but in the jungle, buildings still surrounded them, but they were older and vacant, just flora and fauna to inhabit them now.

Suddenly they were out of the jungle and on a small deserted beach. Birds sang and the river water embraced the sandy beach like star-crossed lovers, party quickly only to return for one last kiss.

"I used to play here as a child." Ripple turned around in circles, a silly smile on his happy face. He pulled Belle by the hand closer and closer to the water but she pulled out of his grip. He didn't really seem offended but began to pull off his clothes until he was left in those legging looking things. "Let's go for a swim."

He dove into the water, splashing Belle a bit. She stood as close as she dared to the clear blue water. When Ripple realized that she hadn't followed him in, he started trying to pull her in. "Come on, the water is lovely."

"No, I…I can't swim." She said pulling away from him so hard that she landed promptly on her backside in the sand.

Ripple laughed deeply. "I will hold you in my arms. Come."

Belle started to crawl away but suddenly she was being picked up in Ripple's strong, wet arms, and the next thing she knew she was under water. Her open mouth, in mid-sentence, filled with water. She was fighting Ripple, she beat against him and after what felt like hours under the water, she finally pried herself loose and stood up.

"What is it? You can stand, it is not deep."

But Belle was already tripping her way back to the shore. She pulled herself up into the sad and away from the water, gasping for breath. Her throat felt like someone had poured gravel into it by the time she was done.

"What is it?" Ripple asked. He was trying to pull her back into the water. "It's just a little—"

She didn't hear the rest of that sentence because she was running. She was running through the jungle, her now heavy dress kept tripping her. Somehow she managed to find the street again and then the house. Thank God for her good memory. She rushed into the house and hid in the first place she could think of.

"So, how long have you been in love with Belle?"

Jimmy cut his finger on the scroll he was reading.

"What are you talking about?" he didn't look at Amy.

Amy was grinning. "It's obvious the way you feel about her. Just in the way you move around her…a blind man could see it."

"I don't think…"

Amy raised her eyebrows. "Jimmy, don't even try to argue with me about this."

Jimmy didn't because there was no point. Yes he was in love with Belle, but he wasn't going to say it out loud. Because then, by rule, he would have to do something about it. But Amy took this as his answer and giggled a bit.

"Alright spill."

"Spill what?"

"Details?" Amy looked a bit annoyed. "I'm not normally this…girly. Say out loud, you know you want to. Please I just want to hear you say it, no one else is paying attention."

It was true. Rory was napping on the floor at Amy's feet like a tired puppy; River and the Doctor were in the far side of the library trying to draw a map of what they knew so far.

Maybe it was time he said something. He'd been in love with Belle for nearly two years—since he'd first met her—and had still never said anything.

"Fine, I—"

Ripple came bursting in the room, soaking wet and shirtless again. He looked worried. "Have any of you seen Belle?"

Amy sighed. "Told you she would get lost."

They hadn't turned the scrambler back on.

Jimmy stood up, anger plain on his face. "You _lost_ her! How could you lose her!"

"I didn't lose her, she ran away!"

River was standing by the fuming Jimmy now, her face full of anger as well. "What did you do to make her run away?"

"I don't know, we were having a good time, and then I tried to get her to swim—"

"What do you mean you 'tried to get her to swim'?"

"She said she couldn't swim so I was going to hold her, but when I pulled her into the water, she started kicking and screaming. She ran away as soon as I let go."

"YOU PULLED HER INTO THE WATER!" Jimmy thundered. Suddenly he was pushing the soaking Ripple against the hard stone wall with all the strength he had. "You pulled her into the water without her consent?"

"I thought she would be fine!"

Jimmy brought his fist into the air, a perfect line up with Ripple's beautiful face, but he froze and brought it back down. "First of all, get a freaking shirt; second of all Ripple sounds like something a Woodstock baby would be called, so get a nickname like Rip, because that would fit you much better; and lastly if you ever touch Belle without her permission again, I will kill you is that understood?"

Ripple nodded and Jimmy pushed him out of the room. He turned to give Amy a pointed look. "Did I say it loud enough for you?"

Amy smiled and Jimmy left to go find Belle.

"What was that about?" River asked, the Doctor by her side.

"Just fate helping me prove a point."

"Belle?" Jimmy said stepping onto the balcony.

She didn't turn to look at him. He knew he would find her here, she had told him she loved it, because it was safe and beautiful. He thought it was an odd way to describe something, but had agreed.

"Ripple told us what happened."

Belle laughed bitterly. "Ten years, James. Ten years and I still can't even take a shower with feeling scared."

"Well, tell you what, I'll start taking showers with you, so you aren't alone."

Belle laughed again, this time, she meant it. Jimmy put his arm around the shaking Belle and she snuggled into him and his comforting smell.

"Am I damaged?" she asked him suddenly.

"What?"

"Am I just so mucked up that I'm damaged, like permanently?"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Yes you wouldn't; because you are too nice."

Jimmy wanted to laugh. Two years ago, before he was brought into River and Belle's world, he would have had to pay someone to tell him he was nice.

"I wouldn't say that because it's not true, Belle."

She was silent.

"Is this about Ripple, because—?"

She laughed. "It's not about Ripple."

"Then what?"

"It's about the Doctor. It's about my family; it's about River, you, and me."

Jimmy nodded, trying to understand. He thought he did: Belle was afraid that she was damaged and that it was hurting the people she cared about, including her family, even though she would never see them again.

"I want to tell the Doctor, James."

"You mean about..?"

"Yes. Maybe…maybe it will give me some sort of closure."

Jimmy laughed. "Closure?"

She hit him in the chest playfully. "Shut it."

They didn't leave for a while, but sat there, holding each other as they watched boats and ships rock on the waves of the Atlantic River.

The Doctor was on a quest for Amy: get the "chocolate pretzel thingies" from the kitchen. Amy was always hungry these days and it was beginning to concern the Doctor. It was nearly eight and the summer sun was just setting over Atlantis as he went to search for the **TARDIS**. He had thought about moving it into the merchant's home, but wasn't sure if that was such a great idea, so instead, he had moved it into the jungle like wood near the edge of the lower city and used the cloaking device on it so it wouldn't be disturbed.

When he finally found it, after swatting at the air for nearly five minutes, he headed straight for the consul and tried to give it a hug. Two days in an actual house, always remaining still, or not moving enough, was getting to him. Today he found himself talking to an exotic fish in a bowl, telling it how one day it's cousin the goldfish would be a key factor when the Bijouz tried to take over Earth. Then he told it that they would fail, but that was okay, the Bijoz would try again a thousand years after and succeed. And that they ruled very well.

Thinking of the story made him think of Rose Tyler. He had just returned from saving the world from the Bijoz and the goldfish when he had gotten a message from her saying she was about to die and how he could do nothing. But he had done something.

He had saved Rose, Donna, Jack, Martha, Mickey, Jackie, Pete, their son Tony, the Meta-Crisis Doctor (Who now went by John and was married to Rose), and their daughter, Noble. It had been great seeing them all even if they hadn't seen him. Since then life just hadn't been the same: he had this feeling like something was about to happen, something big. It was like the static before the lightning or the smell of rain in the air before the storm. And it was going to happen soon.

After his private moment with the consul, he went to the kitchen to find the chocolate pretzels. He dug around in the cupboard for a moment before he heard footsteps behind him. He whipped around, his sonic screwdriver in his hand.

It was Belle.

No it wasn't just Belle, it was the Future Belle, the one he had seen on Fisher Street.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for these?" she held up the bag of chocolate pretzels. They were open. "Sorry, I got nippish waiting for you."

He repeated the question.

"I wanted to see you before you left."

"What do you mean left?"

"You, River, me—the past me that is, Jimmy, and Amy are going into the chambers tonight." She set the pretzels on the table and picked up a small black bag off of the floor. She handed it to him.

"You're going to need these."

"You didn't say Rory." He said taking the bag without looking at it.

"Yes that is because he is going to be in the **TARDIS**, doing Amy's bidding as usual."

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am Doctor." She said smiling as she set down at the small table. Her hair was different; it now had a bright streak of aqua blue in it that matched her nose piercing. She was the same age as she had been on Fisher Street.

"I mean, who are you, really."

"I'm your friend Doctor, I always have been."

"You don't even like me…the present Belle, doesn't."

"That's because you broke her heart Doctor."

"How?"

Belle smiled. "You will find out tonight."

"If I guess it, will you tell me?" he asked, sitting across from her. "I am rather clever."

"Yes you are, but I doubt you will understand. Even River can't seem to wrap her head around it." She laughed. "My existence is sort of impossible."

"Why?"

"The same reason why present Belle can't stand to be in water." She got serious. "Something is going to happen tonight Doctor, you are going to have to make a choice, and I—she—_we _will hate you for it, but you will still have to do it."

The Doctor leaned forward. "You are nothing but riddles. Cryptic messages."

Belle leaned in as well. "And you are nothing but an old Time Lord who doesn't know when to quit. When to give up."

She stood up.

"Who are you." the Doctor said as she started to type in coordinates into the Vortex Manipulator on her wrist.

"I'm a friend Doctor, one you will need very soon." She smiled at him, but it was a sad smile. "When the Children of Time come together, once again and Amy makes her choice. When you make your choice." She shook her head. "You are very clever Doctor. Just not as clever as Her."

"What?" but Belle was gone and the Doctor was left again, with more questions than answers and a half eaten bag of pretzels.

"What are these?" Amy asked. She was holding the black bag and one of the five teleport bracelets that had been in the bag.

"Teleport bracelets." The Doctor said, snapping one onto his wrists. "These are what we are using to get into the Chambers. We will just teleport in, go through the trials, get what we came here for, and go home."

"Why not just teleport into the Vault?" Rory asked.

River shook her head. "There are barriers, set up by magnetics, that would hamper the devices. It's rather brilliant."

Jimmy glanced into the bag. "So how do they work?"

"Well, we all get in a little group—each of us with one of these on—and then we use the teleport manipulator on the **TARDIS **to teleport into the desired Chamber. And we have to do it all at the same time or we could end up…somewhere we're not supposed to be. Easy as that."

"There is only five." Belle observed, pulling two out. "And there is six of us."

There was a moment of awkward silence that the Doctor had wanted to avoid. Everyone looked to the bracelets and then at each other.

Rory swallowed. "Who's staying?"

Instantly, everyone looked to him.

"No." he said. "No. I am not staying while everyone goes off on an adventure."

"Rory—" Amy began but Rory interrupted her.

"Don't Rory me." Rory stopped. "I will stay. But only if Amy stays as well."

"What!" Amy jumped up and all trace of sweetness disappeared. "That is—"

"A wonderful idea." The Doctor finished. "Amy and Rory stay here, they have been asking for some alone time for some reason, and we—Myself, River, Jimmy, and Belle—go on the dangerous mission." He looked at Amy. "Do you remember how to fly the **TARDIS**, in case we don't return?"

Amy eyed her best friend as he rambled on. His eyes never met hers. She wanted to laugh as she got the secret message.

The Doctor began to explain in more detail about traveling by teleport. "Since these are old, they have a different way of working than the newer ones. If you are getting teleported it is safer to be holding onto one another; you have better chances of staying together then and ending up in the same place. And if we're not all touching, the chances of you ending up in some other part of the galaxy is high. So Rory, all you have to do is aim it at us as a group, and then flick this switch, and we're gone. Just like that."

"What do we use to contact you?" Rory asked. The Doctor pulled out five walkie-talkies and handed them to everyone but Amy, who was standing in the corner, looking sullen. "Alright, well, I guess we should get started."

Everyone changed out of their togas and robes and back into their more comfortable clothes. They check their talkies and held hands as Rory pointed what looked like a small laser at them. Belle closed her eyes.

"On the count of three." The Doctor said. "One…two…THREE!"

Belle saw a flash of light and then the musical hum of the police box disappeared. She opened her eyes and she found herself face to face with Jimmy who had bent down to adjust his talkie. Their eyes met and for a moment, Belle instantly forgot that they were in a tunnel that was dark, the only light came from blue-flamed torches that lined the walls.

"Doctor," Came Rory's static voice from the talkies. "Amy's disappeared."


	3. Chapter 3

**Since I didn't get such a high response (probably since it took me forever to post or maybe it just sucked), this will be my last chapter. Thank you everyone who has read. Thank you. **

**I own absolutely nothing but the story idea.**

**Chapter Three: Forevermore **

The hills and the vales will blossom in spring,  
The ocean will roar with a sullen cry;  
Old Time in his flight, with a restless wing,  
Shall whir o'er the dead without pity or sigh.

So the sun will rise and the sun will set,  
And stars will bejewel the upper blue,  
And the earthquake shock like a gaping net  
Will swallow together the false and true.

I hear a voice o'er the rolling deep,  
And catch a glimpse of that far-off shore,  
Where men and women will never weep,  
In the new Atlantis, forevermore.

-John Alexander Joyce

"You have to come back Amy!" Rory yelled over the walkie-talkie. "You promised you would stay."

"It was an accident." Amy said, twisting the teleport device on her wrist.

"It was an accident that you just happened to be wearing the bracelet thing while I was pointing the teleport beam that way?" Rory said doubtfully.

"Yup."

Belle could have sworn she heard Rory bang his head against something heavy.

"Amy, we talked about this…"

"This is an exception Rory and we can talk about it later."

_Bang, bang._

"Fine, but I swear, Amy, if this hurts the—"

Amy pressed the talk button before he could continue. "I will be fine, Rory. I will see you in a few hours."

She turned the walkie off and put it in her back pocket. When she turned around, she ignored the questioning stares from her companions. "Well are we ready to go?"

Jimmy laughed a bit.

Belle looked at her watch. "We have three hours and forty-three minutes until Sinking Day begins. And the flooding will start in here first, so we might just want to make that three hours."

Amy nodded. "Like I said, are we ready to go?"

River pulled out the map they had drawn up before they left and started working out a course, but the Doctor just started walking down the cobblestone tunnel. Amy followed without question, then River, who just put the map in her bag, knowing the chances were they were never going to use it, and then Jimmy, who pulled a rather reluctant Belle along.

"What is the first Trial River?" the Doctor asked, pulling a brightly lit torch from the wall and handing it Amy.

River handed another torch to Jimmy. "Trial by Fire."

They all paused for a moment to realize they were holding fire in their hands as they spoke. Jimmy gave another nervous laugh.

"So we walk on." The Doctor said.

They walked for nearly twenty minutes before Jimmy finally spoke up. "Is…is it getting hotter in here?" he asked, taking a large drink from his water bottle.

The Doctor took off his suit jacket and let it drop where it lay. He loosened his tie with one hand as he sonic the area. "Yes, the temperature has raised nearly twenty degrees since we first came in."

"God," Belle said, following Amy and River's example and taking off her shirt so that she was just in a light blue tank top.

"We have to be close to the first Trial." Amy said, fanning herself.

They began walking again, their breathing ragged as they soldiered on.

River stopped and put a hand in the air. "Do you hear that?"

The others stopped and listened. The smell of sulfur wafted down the corridors, accompanied by the roar of wind and fire. Jimmy brushed his against the smooth rock wall. "It's hot." He said as they rounded corner. "Like, really hot."

"Hmm, wonder why." Belle said pointedly as they came upon a large fiery pit that expanded over half the room.

The room was short in height and length (though Amy wasn't sure how deep the pit was as the flames were too thick to see), but it was more than twenty feet across to the other side, which also opened into an equally small tunnel, like the one they had just emerged from.

"Alright, so now what?"

Belle laughed at Amy. "What, you've never hopped over twenty feet across a roaring fire? It's pips Amelia."

Amy nudged her. "Okay brainy, so what _do_ we do now?"

Belle's cockiness faded a bit. "The Trial."

They all looked into the pit of fire, waiting for something to happen.

Jimmy scratched his head. "And how do we do that?"

"Ehmm…" Belle reached into her pack and pulled out her notes. She flipped through them and hmm'd as the others watched. She looked up at them, her face grim.

"That doesn't look like a 'we just have to sing Ring-a-Round-the-Rosy' kinda face, does it?" he whispered into River's ear.

"We have to allow our most…pure…to step into the flames." Belle said and shut the book.

"Most pure, what the hell does that mean. We push the virgins into the fire?" Jimmy asked. He glanced at Belle. "Too bad, Belle."

She ignored him. "These Trials are to test our character. So it has to be someone who is…what? Unselfish? Pure…pure..." She started pacing the small space. The Doctor fell into step with her. He spun around quickly and looked at her. "What is it that you said about heroes, Belle?"

"What about them?"

"You said 'everybody wants something, needs something', right, they need to feel that desire of being admired by those around them, that's it?"

Belle nodded. "What about it?"

"What if you were wrong, what if not everybody wanted something?"

"Are we really having this conversation again?"

The Doctor looked at Amy. "What is it you want from this whole journey, why did you come?"

Amy smiled. "I really wanted to see the treasure, not take anything, but I mean…that would be amazing."

The Doctor looked at River. "And you?"

"To clear my debt to the Acquirer and to save myself." River said, catching on to what the Doctor was doing. "There's nothing pure or innocent about that."

The Doctor turned to Belle. "And you?"

She looked out over the flames, which seemed to be climbing higher to the ceiling. "I wanted to prove myself."

The Doctor nodded.

"It has to be you then, Doctor." Jimmy said. "I mean, you're not here for glory or treasure or yourself."

The Doctor said nothing.

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

"I wanted to say I had been to Atlantis."

River smiled. "And here I was, thinking you were here for me."

The Doctor turned to Jimmy. "Why are you here? Why did you come?"

"For Belle." Jimmy said instantly, but he seemed to rethink the words as soon as they left his mouth. He looked at her defensively. "I mean, you know, to be your sarcastic foil. Someone has to be the funny one."

"That's my job." Said the static voice of Rory. Amy held up the walkie.

"I thought he should be included." She smiled.

"Jimmy, I can't believe I am saying this, but I think you are the most pure there." Rory said. "I mean, you didn't want anything, did you?"

Jimmy looked into the flame and muttered "Shit…"

And then he ran forward until he was engulfed by the flame.

"James!" Belle screamed after him as he disappeared into the inferno.

"Ripple, will you please hand me the wine." Juni asked her son as they sat at the long table.

Ripple didn't move or acknowledge that he had heard her. Ryle pounded his fist on the table, making Maya jump. "For the love of the Gods son, what has gotten into you? Ever since the girl got here you have been as lost as the stars when the sun is out."

"Where is she?" Ripple asked, unfazed by his father's outburst.

"I told you," his mother said as a servant poured her wine. "They needed to visit some acquaintances on the other side of the city."

"And when will they be back."

"By morning or the afternoon, I assume."

"And I am sure he will even more consumed when the girl returns, that Belle." Ryle observed, stabbing his fish with his utensil.

"I am in love father." Ripple announced.

"Nonsense." Ryle dismissed him. "You have known the girl for less than three days. And she spent most of the time in the library with the others. Females, reading, to think. Hmph."

"She is educated, isn't that acceptable to you father. Or is anything acceptable to you?"

"I like her." Maya piped.

"Well, I think—"

Ryle was interrupted by a great sound like thunder and the house shook. Maya whimpered and her mother put an arm around her. The pots rattled where they sat and one even fell off the table. It stopped seconds after it had begun. And Ryle straightened his plate.

"It was nothing but a rattle of the earth." He proclaimed.

But no sooner had the words left his mouth than had the shaking began again, but with ten times the original force. Maya screamed. Ryle led his family over to the doorframe and held onto his wife and his youngest.

"We need to get out of the house, Father." Ripple yelled over the great noise. And, for once, Ryle agreed with him and allowed his son to lead his family out of the crumbling house. Out on the street, they met other families who had also vacated their homes. Women and children cried. Clouds had gathered in the sky, great grey ones, and thunder rumbled through them all as lightning sliced open the sky and let a great torrent of rain fall upon them.

And then the first wave came.

"James!" Belle screamed after him as he disappeared into the inferno.

River pulled Belle back as she reached towards the flames, but it was as if the fire was never there, but instead an empty deep trench, as the flames disappeared. And Jimmy was sitting, looking completely unharmed, on his backside, smiling stupidly as he pointed to the either side of the trench. "Look," he said. "Stairs."

Belle ran down the stone steps and to Jimmy and nearly knocked him over as he was standing up. "I swear to God, if you ever do that again, I will kill you." She said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Never take a swim in a fiery pool again, check." He said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as tight as he could.

The silence was broken as Rory's voice through the walkie. "Is he dead?"

They all laughed.

Amy held the walkie up to her mouth. "Yes, dear, he's just fine."

"Right, well then, you should be moving on." Rory didn't sound excited. "But good on you mate, being all pure."

They laughed again as they climbed the other set of stairs. Belle didn't let go of Jimmy's hand and he didn't want her to.

"So what is the next Trial?" Jimmy asked.

"Trial by Earth." River said.

They were silent for most of the walk. Rory did most of the talking and his voice echoed off the dark corridors. They were weary, waiting for something to happen, but it wasn't until nearly an hour after the first Trial did they come upon the second.

"It's beautiful." Belle said, awestruck of what laid before them.

The tunnel they were in emerged onto a cliff that overlooked a utopia of green trees and clouds and blue skies. Flowers littered the tops of the trees. The area was not that large, but more like someone's backyard jungle. Belle could just barely make out the other enterance to the tunnel on the other side of the greenery. She pointed it out.

"There's steps here." Amy said, motioning towards more stone steps that traveled down the steep base of the cliff.

"Great." Jimmy said, half-heartedly.

The steps crumbled under their unsure footing but they held up until the group made it to the jungle floor.

"Doctor!" Amy said and pointed away.

The Doctor swung around and faced the Weeping Angel.

Juni screamed as the water crashed over them, but held tighter to her daughter as she did so, her instinct taking over. It was a small wave, and most of the force had been taken out on the circle of houses around them, but Juni saw a few human-like shapes being dragged past her as the water receded.

"Mumma," Maya whimpered.

"I'm here dear." Juni looked up, searching desperately for her husband and son. They were running towards her, soaked through and Ryle had a bleeding nose.

"What's happening!" Juni cried as her husband reached her.

"I don't know, but we need to find higher ground." Ryle pulled his wife and daughter up. Ripple reached down and picked up his feather-light sister. "The Capital."

People were screaming around them, but somehow, someone had heard Ryle say those words and suddenly everyone was screaming them. People began to run, all towards the familiar bridge that crossed to the castle of the Atlantean king, Peter III.

"Is that…" Belle couldn't finish. She felt Jimmy's hand tighten on hers, sensing her fear.

"Yes." The Doctor said quietly.

"What is it?" Jimmy asked.

"Nothing." Amy answered. "But we need a minute." She switched the walkie off. "No need to worry him more than we must."

The Doctor slowly drew out his sonic screw driver. "I am going to look away, who is looking at it?"

"Me." River said, quietly.

"What's happening?" Rory asked anxiously.

"What is it" Jimmy asked again, eyeing the statue of the angelic angel. Its wings were open wide and its marble was unharmed, and shined in the sun. "It's a statue."

"It's a Weeping Angel, Jimmy." Belle said quietly.

"What?" the statue wasn't crying.

The Doctor was sonicing it. "It's asleep."

"What?" Amy said.

"It's not active."

River still didn't look away. "Then maybe it's not one of them."

"It appears to be dormant." He backed away from it, pulling River and Amy with him. "On the count of three, no one look at it, close your eyes and then look away. Wait three seconds and look back. One…two…three."

They all looked away. _One...two…three_. They all looked back. The angel hadn't moved.

The Doctor took a step towards the jungle, away from the angel. "Let's go, before it wakes up. Just keep looking out."

"What's so bad about a weeping angel statue?" Jimmy asked.

"It's not a statue James. It's an alien. It can only move when you're not looking at it. So if you make eye contact with one, don't blink. Blink and you're dead."

The Doctor glanced back at her as she said that. He had said that once, what seemed like a lifetime ago. Maybe it was.

"Alright, well, remind me to never get into a game of Red Light Green Light with one of them."

No one laughed Jimmy said nothing else.

"There has to be more of them." Amy whispered. "There are always more of them."

The Doctor said nothing as he watched his surroundings. He knew she was right, though. And that scared him more than anything.

"Doctor." Belle froze.

He stopped and looked back at her, but did not follow her gaze into the trees. Everyone else looked at their feet.

Belle was shaking. "Doctor, there's two, over by that rock. I thought I saw them, but I looked away. But they moved. They had been farther back, I am sure of it."

The Doctor ruefully allowed himself to look into the trees. Two Angels stood near a rock, one's hand rested on the rock, as if it had been sculpted into it.

"Doctor," Amy said. "There's one."

"Belle?" the Doctor asked his eyes still on the Angels.

"I'm watching." She replied.

The Doctor blinked a few times before he turned and saw the Angel Amy had spotted. It was about ten yards away from them, and in its full glory. Its face was turned up and its teeth were sharp. Its hands were in the air, its fingers more talon-like than fingers.

This one was definitely alive.

"What do we do Doctor?" River asked.

"Jimmy, when I say three, trade with Belle, look at them. River, trade with Amy." He said. "Three!"

"What happened to one and two?" he heard Jimmy ask frantically.

"They were feeling peckish."

Jimmy made a comment about there being a time and a place to make jokes.

"Alright, when I say, tree—"

"What, is that the number that comes after flora and fauna?" Jimmy asked. "Can someone else watch them now, please?"

"Time and place James." Belle said. "Switch."

"As I was saying," the Doctor continued. "When I say tree, everyone started running to your left." He held up his right hand, but quickly put it down and held up his left and pointed to the trees. "Amy, you will trade with River. I will trade with Belle. Flora…fauna…tree!"

They transitioned quickly and everyone started running.

"I blinked!" Amy screamed. A branch cracked somewhere.

The Doctor ran backwards. He tripped, and he felt someone grab his arm and hold him up. Without thinking about it, he looked over to see Belle. Her blonde hair tickled his face. Her familiar blue eyes shined like glaciers. He turned back and Belle screamed as the Angel grabbed the front of his shirt.

He heard the others stop.

"No." Belle said. "Keep going, we have these two, we will meet you in a moment."

She must have spotted one and had her eyes on it. The Doctor's eyes didn't leave the Angel's to look.

"Belle we are not—"

"Shut up James. River, Amy, go." Belle said.

"Doctor…" Amy said uncertainly.

"We will be with you in a moment."

He heard their footsteps begin to retreat.

"Feeling like a hero yet?" the Doctor asked her as they slowly started to walk back.

Belle laughed. "Completely."

"Who are you Belle?"

"Is this really the time?"

"Is River really your godmother?"

"As far as the legal records go, yes."

"Have we met before this?"

"Doctor, I need to blink."

So did he. They were nearly twenty feet away now. Belle was still holding his arm and he could feel her shaking. "Blink."

They both did but snapped their eyes back open when they heard movement. The two Angels were nearly four feet away.

"Fast bastards, aren't they?" Belle commented.

"Belle!" Jimmy called from somewhere close. "Belle, I'm looking at it, River has yours Doctor, turn and run!"

They didn't need to be told twice and ran up the hill, tripping on roots and plants until they were at the opening to the tunnel. They ran in and the door slammed behind them.

"Will that door hold them?" Belle asked, breathless.

"What door?" Amy asked.

The door they had just came in had disappeared and all there was left was the smooth stone of the tunnel wall.

"What's next?" Jimmy asked.

"Trial by Water." River said.

Belle paled. "Lovely."

Jimmy grabbed her hand. "I'm sure it will not be too bad," he leaned in and whispered in her ear: "it can't get any worse can it?"

Belle slapped him. "I cannot believe you just said that!"

"I whispered it: the universe couldn't have possible hear me!"

Belle looked the Doctor. "It counts, doesn't it?

"Well, in my opinion as a Time Lord and a time traveler of over 1000 years, I must say, that James has just royally screwed us."

River nodded. "The universe can be a heartless bitch or sad little woman."

"Oh!" Amy turned the walkie on. "Rory, are you there?"

"What happened?" Rory exclaimed.

"Nothing, just a few little statues, nothing too bad. And you?"

"Well there seems to be some commotion outside, I…I think it's started."

No one spoke.

"What should I do Doctor?"

"You need to get out of there." The Doctor took the walkie-talkie from Amy and stepped away from them. He pointed the sonic screw driver at the walkie-talkie. "I just sent you the directions; check the screen."

There was a pause and then Rory returned. "Yeah, okay they're there."

"Alright just do that."

"Doctor," Rory sounded distant.

"Yes?"

"Take care of her."

"Always."

The Doctor turned on low and put it in his back pocket. "Now, now, now, okay so we must have less time than we thought. We'd better hurry."

"Someone told me once there was an outrages amount of running with you." Belle said as she took off.

The Doctor watched her for a moment. Before chasing after her, he remembered a certain red haired temp say nearly the same thing.

When they came upon the end of the tunnel.

Amy looked into the crystal clear pool in front of her. The Doctor was still using the sonic screw driver to scan the pool for the third time.

"Anything?" River asked, scanning it herself with her Vortex Manipulator. The Doctor shook his head. She nodded. "Me too."

The Doctor slowly leaned forward to touch the water. Everyone stopped speaking as he did. Belle whimpered as his hand disappeared into the crystal water.

"There's nothing." She whispered. Even though the water was so clear that they could see the sandy bottom, his hand didn't show through, but instead disappeared. When the Doctor drew his hand back out, it was dry.

"I. Am. Not. Going in there." Belle whispered from the edge of the cave. She began walking backward. "I'll just try my chances with the jungle full of killer stone angels."

Jimmy grabbed her hand. "Belle, we knew this was coming, all we have to do is take a few more steps. We're almost done."

Belle shook her head, she pulled away gently. "You…you go on without me, I'll be just fine."

"Belle." Jimmy pulled her closer. "Belle, I will be there the entire time. Nothing bad will happen to you, I promise."

Belle looked into his eyes. She couldn't believe it; it was almost like something she had read in a book. His eyes were full of so much emotion: fear, happiness, and…love. She saw love in his eyes and she wondered how long it had been there. She had known him for over two years. She remembered when they had first met…

_Belle was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking her tea and reading _Great Expectations _for the second time, trying to hide her excitement. It was just passed one in the afternoon and River was in her study, on the phone with Torchwood. In the eight years that Belle had lived with River, she had never had the opportunity to actually make a real conversation that did revolve around time travel or universes within in universes or the Doctor. Now a boy just a few months older than her had moved in and she couldn't even begin to think of what to talk about with him. She hardly watched the telly or read the tabloids. But there had to be something they could talk about…hadn't there? He was an American and American's always had something to say._

_ The door to the kitchen pushed open and a tall boy stepped in. He was still in his pajamas (flannel pants and a grey t-shirt), his hair shot off in all places and his eyes were droopy. _

_ "How did you sleep?" Belle asked, trying to mask her pleasure._

_ He nodded at her and looked about the room idly. "Where's the coffee pot?" he mumbled._

_ "No coffee here, but there is a fresh pot of tea on the hot plate." She said, pointing to it. "I can't stand coffee."_

_ The boy didn't respond but instead sat down at the table, in a lazy way. _

_ "Jet lag?" she asked._

_ He nodded. _

_ "How was your flight? The weather was good, only a little rain."_

_ He nodded._

_ "What's your name again?" Belle new but she wanted to make conversation._

_ "Jimmy Johnson." He mumbled. He didn't ask hers. _

_ "Is Jimmy short for anything?"_

_ "James, but I hate when people call me that."_

_ Belle nodded. "I'm Belle," she offered him her hand. "Belle Noel Tyre."_

_ He shook her hand curtly. "Are you a problem too or what?"_

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "I'm here for stealing, what are you in for?"_

_ "I…I live here?"_

_ "Do you speak English?"_

_ Belle could feel her cheeks turning red. "What?"_

_ "Do. You. Speak. English?" he said slowly, as if she were a half-wit._

_ "Yes, I do. I also speak French, Spanish, Greek, Latin, German, Russian, and about ten other languages you've probably never heard of you prat."_

_ He nodded. "So you're here for anger management problems, eh?"_

_ Belle glared at him. "I'm here because I had no other place to go."_

_ "Well, I guess I am joining the club." Jimmy got up. "I'm going back to bed."_

_ "Well," Belle said, picking up her book. "Have a lovely kip…_James_."_

_ He slammed the door behind him…._

When had everything changed between her and James? When had she first realized that she wanted to know what his lips tasted like or if he brushed the left side of his mouth first in the morning? Why was she just realizing that she hadn't been alone in two years? And that she never felt safer than when she was in his arms.

Jimmy blinked a few times as he watched her. only seconds had passed but It was as if Belle had had a full paradigm shift.

She nodded. "Just don't let me go."

He pressed his forehead to hers. "Never."

They turned to the rest. Belle nodded at River.

"I'll go first." The Doctor said. He slid his legs into the pool. He looked puzzled. "I don't feel anything nibbling on me."

And then he slid all the way in.

River stepped up, but Amy said she wanted to go next. She slowly slid into the pool and out of sight.

River paused above the pool and turned to look at Belle. "The Trial of Truth is next, Belle."

Belle nodded. "I know."

River slid into the pool and out of sight.

Jimmy gripped Belle's hand. "Ready?"

Belle shook her head but allowed them him to pull her closer. They sat on the side, their feet skimming the top. Jimmy squeezed her hand. "Hold your breath."

And then they slid in.

The Doctor walked around the controls. The room was quiet, just the gentle hum of the **TARDIS **as she drifted through out space. The Doctor smiled contently. Amy and Rory were probably asleep by now, tired from the adventure of the day…whatever it was.

This made the Doctor frown. Why couldn't he remember anything about the day? He looked about the room, everything was foggy, like a dream…a dream…

"Amy?!" the Doctor yelled. "River?! Belle?! Jimmy?!"

His voice echoed longer than it should have but someone did answer him.

"Doctor,"

The Doctor swung around and found himself face to face with himself.

River laughed. "Why don't you always take me to places like this?"

The Doctor smiled. "Because there's not always enough time."

"You're a Time Lord, you have all the time in the universe!" she screamed it into the wind. They were on the top of the Eifel Tower, in 1802. The very first day of the year, just past midnight. Fireworks were rocketing through the air. It was beautiful.

The Doctor smiled sadly. "I did."

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"My times running out River, I don't have much left."

"What are you talking about Doctor?"

"Everything dies, River."

"But…"

"Even you."

River looked at him. His face was shadowed. "What is wrong?"

"You killed me River and you thought you could get away with it?" the Doctor sounded angry. "You stopped my heart and nearly tore apart the universe."

"I was trying to help you!"

"It was selfish!"

"I was trying—"

But then she was falling. She was falling off the Eifel Tower.

"Rory, will you hand me the baby powder?" Amy asked her husband.

"Baby powder," Rory handed it to her.

Amy powdered her babies bum and then put the diaper on. She leaned down and blew a raspberry on his stomach and listened to him giggle.

In the last 3 months at home with her husband and her new baby boy, had been the happiest of her life. Rory was doing his residency at the hospital again and Amy was still doing modeling gigs on her spare time. They were well off.

River and the Doctor would visit every couple weeks; the Doctor would tell Amy and Rory what they were doing wrong (according to Henry, their son) and River would hold her baby brother and talk about planets that Amy would have thought could never exist if she hadn't seen them for herself. It was amazing, completely. Everything in her life had worked out. A happily ever after.

Something was terribly wrong.

"What is it dear?" Rory asked, concern filling his voice. Amy had dropped the baby powder she had been putting on the shelf.

"Something's wrong Rory."

"What could be wrong?"

"I-I don't know but everything is just so perfect. _Too _perfect."

"I don't understand." Rory put a hand on her forehead. "Are you feeling quite alright?"

Amy looked at her son. His eyes were green and shiny. His hair was just patches of red on his head. He was flawless. The room was flawless. Shiny and clean and so very yellow.

"Why would we paint the baby's room yellow?"

"Because we didn't want to paint it blue."

"Why?"

"Because we weren't sure it was a boy or a girl."

"We said that we would paint it **TARDIS **blue no matter what it was."

"We changed our minds." Rory's voice had changed.

Amy couldn't look at him. "You hate yellow."

Rory didn't answer. Amy turned to finally look at him. He was grinning in an odd way; it wasn't a happy grin but a rueful grin.

"If you could have just kept pretending, Amy," he said. "We could have been so happy."

He lunged at her, his hand wrung around her neck and they fell to the floor, as he choked her.

Henry cooed above them.

"Do you think it will be sunny today?" Belle asked Jimmy as she looked past him and out the window. "The weather man said it would."

"I wasn't planning on leaving this room, so I'm not worried about it." Belle giggled as he leaned over and kissed her neck.

"Well, we may just have to agree on not leaving the house, because I am _starving_."

"As long as we don't have to put on clothes."

She laughed. "Agreed."

Belle and Jimmy ate pancakes for breakfast, which he had prepared. They sat at the kitchen.

"I hope River doesn't just pop up."

"Well, I would think she would give a newly wedded couple a few weeks on their own before she started appearing out of thin air."

Belle laughed. Her wedding ring glinted. "I would hope so."

Jimmy leaned over and kissed his new bride on the lips. She tasted like syrup and coffee.

He stopped kissing her and pulled back. "You don't drink coffee."

She looked confused too as she looked at her coffee cup steaming away next to her plate. "No, I don't."

"Then why are you drinking it?"

She looked confused. "I-I don't know."

"Did you start liking it?"

Belle took a sip of the coffee curtly. She made a face. "No, I most certainly have not."

"What have we been doing?" he asked suddenly.

"Well I believe we've been _doing _a lot." She smiled, but she too looked confused.

"I…I can remember our wedding night, but it's like…I saw pictures of it, like years ago."

Belle nodded. "I know…"

"The Water."

"What?"

"We went into that pool of water, the one in the tunnel. This has to be part of the Trial."

"How so?"

"It shows us what we want, I guess?"

Belle smiled. "You want _this_?" she held up her hand, the diamond glittered.

He blushed. "Well, I can't be the only one, because you're here too."

She opened her mouth, but she couldn't seem to say anything. She blushed. "Well, we need to get out of here."

He nodded. "We should find the others."

Neither of them moved.

Belle looked down. "Oh, good Lord, I'm in my undies."

Jimmy laughed and blushed. "Well, at least you're wearing something."

Belle laughed and handed him the apron off of the hook behind the door as she pulled on her long coat and tied it over her.

"So now what?" he asked, securing the apron.

"I don't know…" Belle said. "Where would others go?"

"Belle, how could this be a Trial? I mean…are we supposed to figure it out or is it more than that?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, maybe we need to…I don't know." He looked her body up and down.

"If you say have sex, I will hurt you."

He laughed. "There's my Belle."

"What is this?" The Doctor asked himself. Well, the other himself, the one with a different face, the face of his last regeneration.

The Tenth Doctor was taller than the Eleventh. He walked in a different was as well. His

walk was lazier, more relaxed. He was grinning.

"Hello again." He said. "Long time, no see, eh?"

"What is this?"

"It's a realm of possibility."

"What possibility is this?"

The Tenth Doctor shrugged. "The one where you realize what you've done wrong."

"How are you going to do that?"

He nodded to the stairs. "Why don't we go check on Amy and Rory?"

The Doctor started up the stairs but he heard the other Doctor begin to laugh.

"Oh, that's right!" he smacked his head playfully. "They're dead."

The Doctor froze. "What?"

"Yes, they were shot by authorities for associating with us." He held out his hands. They were now covered in blood. "We held them in our arms; their blood covered us, it was so warm…and we cried as Amy drew her last breath."

The Doctor shook his head. "I know this isn't real."

The Other Doctor raised an eye brow. "Do you now?"

"Yes, because that's not who I am."

"Who are we, Doctor?"

"I'm a Time Lord."

The Other Doctor nodded. "Yes the last of our kind. Doesn't that make us special?"

"No, _I'm_ the last of _my _kind." The Doctor said. "_You _aren't real."

The Other Doctor nodded. "It makes me wonder why you chose this face. Out of all your regenerations, out of all your companions, all those who could make you believe something that wasn't true, why you chose this face."

"I didn't choose it."

"Didn't you?"

"What does that mean?"

"So many questions Doctor," the Other Doctor smiled. "And you know the answers."

The Doctor understood, he wasn't sure how, but he did. He understood.

Amy's vision was darkening. It was like a dark fog was forming around her as she stared up at the enraged version of her husband. She scratched at his skin and kicked at him. She managed to kick him right where it would hurt him most and ran away from him as he lied gasping on the floor. She ran out of the room and down the stairs. He came hurling down behind her. She found herself in the kitchen. A shiny knife was lying on the counter, she grabbed it and turned to face the kitchen door, gasping.

Rory looked at the knife and laughed. "You think you're going to kill me, Amy? You couldn't if you tried."

River held on tight to the bar she had grabbed as she was falling. She swung herself onto the landing and looked around. The Doctor was standing by the stairs.

"River, River, River," he said shaking his head. "Still being selfish are we?"

River reached under her dress and pulled her gun out of her hip holster. "What is this? It's not real."

"Isn't it?" he said, straightening his bow tie. His hair was wet. It had begun to rain.

River shook her head and cocked the pistol. "No, it's not."

Belle looked up at Jimmy over the table. They were sitting in the library, in clothes, looking through the books, trying to figure it out what was happening to them. "I get it." She said.

"What?" he said excitedly.

"James, the Trials are all about sacrifice: what we're willing to give up." She whispered. "The Water is showing us what we want the most and seeing if we are willing to give it up."

Jimmy gulped. "How are we supposed to signal that we are?"

Belle looked over to the cabinet where little bottles glinted. She looked back at him. "James, would you make some tea please."

The Doctor ran over to the consul and starting pushing buttons. The Other Doctor sat down on the stairs and watched. The interface that the Doctor had installed chilly, serene voice echoed. "Impact in ten seconds."

The Other Doctor nodded. "Let's hope the other's figure it out as well."

Amy waved the knife at Rory as he stepped closer. "Rory," she said. "This isn't real, but I want you to know I love you, and I hate myself for doing this."

She lunged forward and plunged the knife into Rory's chest.

River pointed the gun at the Doctor. Her hair was soaked and her dress felt heavy. She was crying. "I didn't think I'd ever have to do this again." She pulled the trigger.

Belle poured Jimmy a cup and he poured her one. The Hemlock Belle had gotten out of the cabinet mixed in quickly with the hot water. They sat down next to each other. Belle took a deep breath, but before she could say anything, Jimmy's lips were on hers. He broke it off. Tears were falling down his cheeks. "Alright, let's do this." They lifted the cups to their lips and took a long drink.

The Doctor sat up straight, gasping for breath. He was laying on sand, his body hurt from the fall of nearly fifteen feet from the pool. Or was it the being thrown around on the **TARDIS **before it had hit the moon? He looked around Amy and River were stirring slowly, opening their eyes. Belle and Jimmy lay to his left, their hands clasped as they blinked a few times.

Amy reached over and pulled the walkie-talkie out of the Doctor's pocket. She turned it on. "Rory," she pleaded. "Rory are you there?"

The reply came seconds later. "I'm here? What's wrong?"

She laughed breathlessly. "Nothing, just checking in."

Belle looked at Jimmy. Could that have been what they really both wanted? Jimmy's cheeks were wet with tears. She wiped one away.

"It wasn't real." He said, not looking at her. He frowned. "Doctor, what is that?"

They all looked to where Jimmy was pointing. They were on an decline and at the bottom of their little hill, water was rising towards them.

"It's the sea, crashing down on us, come on."

They ran down the tunnel, which was dark. They hadn't ran very far when they came upon a dead end.

"What the hell is this?" he yelled, kicking the dirt. "What, is this some kind of Atlantean joke? Put you through hell, and then just kill you?"

"James," Belle said trying to sound soothing. She tried to grab his arm but he pulled away.

"No," he said. "Not after all this _crap_." He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled "Did you hear that universe? THIS IS CRAP!"

"Indeed," said a voice from behind them.

They all whirled around. A great blue siren stood above them, floating on a shimmering cloud. She was over ten feet tall and her hair was dark blue.

"You aren't, by any chance, a medical doctor from a different planet are you?" the Doctor said. "Because if not, I've met your sister."

"Silence Time Lord."

The Doctor nodded. "Alrighty then."

"You have come to the last Trial. The Trial of Truth." The Siren said. "Do you know what this means?"

River nodded. "We tell you a secret about ourselves and then you let us pass into the Vault."

The Siren nodded. "A truth for a truth Melody Pond. You tell me and I will tell you."

The sound of rushing water filled the room. Somewhere, not too far off, the tunnel was filling with water.

"Who shall go first?" The Siren asked.

Amy stepped forward. "I might as well; there is something I need to get off my chest."

The Siren nodded.

"I'm pregnant."

The Doctor felt his mouth drop. Of course she was! All the food and the cravings, the moodiness…Rory's overprotectiveness (well more than usual). Of course she was pregnant.

River hugged her mother. Jimmy and Belle smiled at her. Amy looked to the Doctor, waiting for him to say something, but he just nodded. "Who's next?"

"A truth for a truth." The Siren said. She reached out and touched Amy's shoulder. Amy heard a cold voice in her head. _You will not choose the Doctor_.

Amy stepped away. "Umm…thank you?"

The Siren nodded. "Who shall go next?"

"I'll go." River said. "I still feel guilty for shooting the Doctor even though I know that it never really happened."

The Siren nodded and touched River shoulder. _You shall be redeemed_.

"Thank you." River said and stepped away, next to her mother.

"My turn." Jimmy stepped forward. "I…I am in love with my best friend."

Belle smiled.

The Siren nodded and touched him. _She feels the same way, but she will never say it_.

Jimmy stepped away, dazed. He muttered "Thank you."

The Doctor looked at Belle but she wasn't paying attention, but looking at Jimmy, confused.

"Guess I'll go next." the Doctor stepped forward. "Ahem, my mother was one of the original Weeping Angels."

The Siren touched his shoulder. _Your time will end soon Doctor._

The Doctor tried not to make any expression and no one said anything as he stepped over by his companions.

"It is your turn." The Siren said to Belle.

Belle stepped forward. "I'm afraid of water."

"That is not a secret."

"But…"

"There is a secret in your heart that is greater than anything."

"Which is?"

"You must say it or you may not pass."

"I…"

"Belle," River said. "It's time."

Belle took a deep breath. "My name is not Belle Tyre."

"And?"

"That's it." Belle insisted.

"That is only part of the truth, you must say all of it."

"What is the rest of it?"

"Belle," Jimmy said. "Just say it."

"I…my name is Noble Tyler."

The Doctor felt like someone had dropped an anvil on his heart.

"_Wait, Doctor!" He heard a little voice behind him. He was expecting it to be Rose, but it was Noble._

_ He stopped and she almost ran right into him, her dark blonde curls bouncing._

_ "Thank you Doctor, for bringing my mummy back." she said and hugged his leg. He looked down into her blue eyes. "Thank you Doctor."_

_ The Doctor patted the girls head hesitantly. _

_ "Noble, where have you swanned off too?" John called from a distant._

_ Noble ran off as not to worry anyone, but glanced back once before she disappeared around the corner and smiled. If was the smile of someone who was too wise for their years._

"Wait?" Amy said. "You mean you're Rose Tyler's daughter?"

Belle nodded. "It's a long story and I don't think we have a lot of time to explain it."

"That is correct." The Siren said, motioning down the tunnel. "For you are out of time."

Water was flooding into the tunnel. The Siren touched Belle's shoulder. _You will forgive him_.

And then the Siren was gone.

"What's happening?" Amy asked. The water was up to her knees. Belle ran over and Jimmy grabbed her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"You love me?" she asked.

He sighed. "Yes."

"I l-" a great flood of water knocked them both down.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Amy asked the Doctor. The water was up to her waist now.

"I-I…there!" he pointed to a shadow on top of the wall on the other side of the room. It wasn't a shadow but a hold in the wall. "When the water gets high enough, we should be able to just swim in.

Belle and Jimmy were standing by River. Belle was crying. The water was filling up the room and they ended up swimming over to the other wall instead of walking.

"Its high enough now that somebody should be able to jump through." The Doctor said.

"Amy first." River, Belle, and Jimmy said.

For once, Amy didn't argue and she allowed the Doctor and Jimmy to push her out of the water. She disappeared into the crawl space.

"Amy?" the Doctor called over the rushing water.

"It's the Vault!" came her reply.

"River," Belle said. "You go."

River swam over and the Doctor and Jimmy pushed her through.

"Belle," Jimmy pulled her through the water. "Belle, it's time."

Belle put her hands on Jimmy's shoulders and he pushed her up, letting his hand run down her leg as she disappeared.

"Doctor," Jimmy said. "You go. I swam in high school, I can do this."

The Doctor didn't argue with him and Jimmy pushed him up, completely submerging himself in doing so.

The Doctor fell into a tunnel that had about an inch of water in it, but sitting on a little pedestal was the Tablets of Moyo. River was already putting them into her bag.

"Where's James?" Belle asked, concerned.

"He's coming."

Belle jumped up on a rock that put her about head level with the crawl space. "James?"

"I'm coming." Called Jimmy, gurgled.

And then the room began to shake. Dust fell from the ceiling and rocks began to fall down around them. Belle reached her hand into the crawl space. "James!"

She felt Jimmy grab her hand, but then something hit her head and she fell to the ground, a line of blood streaming down her face.

"Belle!" River grabbed her.

Belle sat up. The crawl space was gone, covered in rocks and she didn't see Jimmy. Water was filling the Vault from some unseen place. She started pulling at the rocks, but someone was pulling her away. She fought against whoever it was, but they were stronger than her. She heard the Doctor's voice. "Rory, bring us back! NOW!

There was a flash of light and the inside walls of the police box appeared.

"NO!" whoever was holding onto her let go finally and Belle fell to the ground. "Where's James!?"

No one said anything. She looked to the Doctor. "Go back! Go back!"

"Belle, I can't." he said.

"No, you have to…you have to…please. Please Doctor, please?" she sobbed, her wet hair was sticking to her face as her warm tears made goosebumps on her arms as they fell there. "Please."

"I would if I could." he whispered.

Belle looked down at the shiny teleport bracelet. "The teleport…why didn't in work?"

"Because he wasn't close enough." River said, kneeling down beside her goddaughter, her eyes filled with tears. "Belle, he's gone, sweetie."

Belle shook her head. "No." she choked.

"Wait, there might still be away." Amy said as s messed with some knobs on the monitor. "Yes! It says it transferred five people! Five, so he has to be here!"

"If he transferred with us, he'd be with us. River was touching Belle, I was touching River, and Amy was touching me." Belle looked to the Doctor, who shook his head. "Remember what I said before: if we're not all touching, the chances of ending up in somewhere else is high. Belle, he could be anywhere."

"We have to find him." she cried.

River held her sobbing goddaughter.

"I loved him." Belle sobbed. "And I never told him. I never told him I loved him."

As the Doctor, Amy, and Rory waited for River to finish her meeting with the Acquirer, the Doctor decided it was time to talk to Belle—Noble.

He knocked on her door. There was a whisper of a reply and he opened it. She was lying on her bed, looking sick. She had stopped crying, now she just looked like she was in shock.

"How…How are you?"

Belle didn't respond.

"Stupid question." He said, sitting at the end of her bed.

"I know you're not just here to tell me that everything's going to be just fine, so get to the point."

The Doctor stood up again and went and sat in a chair, farther away from Belle. "How did you get here Noble?"

"I got into a spaceship with a man I thought I hated."

The Doctor tried not to take offense to that. "I mean, in this universe."

Belle closed her eyes. "I was six. Dad, Mum, and my little sister, Gwenyth—she was two, and we were supposed to be going on a holiday. Dad had to stop at Torchwood…I don't remember why. Mum, Gwen, and I were walking around the lake on the site, and…I was wading in the water and…I was sucked under."

"By a random portal?"

She nodded. "I kept popping in between my world and the Thames in Cardiff. It was raining." She took a deep breath. "I remember my mum screaming for me…and my dad, but I don't know if that was real or not."

"How did you end up with River?"

"She found me. In a foster home, a few months later. She never said how and I never asked."

He nodded. "And the name Belle Tyre?"

"Belle Noel Tyre." She said. "It's an anagram for Noble Lee Tyler. I got the idea from a book."

"Why didn't you know who I was, when we met in the River's kitchen?"

"I know I met you, when I was _three_." She sighed. "I don't remember it though. I knew you were the Doctor, and I know who my father was, the Meta-Crisis you. I thought you would look the same. But you didn't."

"You thought I'd look like your dad and I disappointed you, didn't I? That's why you didn't like me."

She nodded.

"Have you seen your family since…?"

She shook her head.

He wasn't sure what to say. She dismissed him by turning so her back was facing him. The Doctor stood up and went to leave, but stopped and turned slightly, just so he knew she could hear him.

"You're not alone Noble." He said. "You never have been. And I _will _find him. I will."

He left and Belle closed her eyes as the tears found their way to the surface again.

After the Doctor had stepped into the empty hallway, he leaned against the wall, and let a deep sigh out. The Siren had said his time was coming to an end. He was going to die soon. He walked down the hallway and into the main room. Amy and Rory were sitting on the stairs, their hands intertwined. He knew what was coming and just affirmed his greatest fear. He was going to die alone.

"Doctor, we…we need to talk." Amy said.

The Doctor nodded and looked into the monitor. "I was thinking about actually going to Geneva this time, I know that I said that last time, but I think—"

"Doctor, Rory and I are leaving." Amy said finality in her voice.

The Doctor said nothing as he continued to whiz through the screen.

"Doctor?" Rory said.

"When?" he asked, not looking at them.

"Soon." Amy replied. "Very soon."

"Oh."

"It's just…" Rory looked at his wife. "We don't want what happened to River to happen to this one. We want the chance to be parents Doctor, real parents and I—"

"—_We_ don't think that we can do that here. Not right now." Amy finished.

He finally looked at them. "Is this about the bunk beds, because I told you—"

"Doctor," Amy stopped him. "This is about our lives. All our lives. Ours, it's-" she motioned to her stomach. "And your's."

"How do I factor into this?" he asked. "What if I promised to be very careful, no trouble at all?"

"Because we know you Doctor." Rory asked. "And trouble—no matter how hard you try—will always find you. And that's not your fault. But it's…we can't do it. Because it won't be just endangering us but you."

The Doctor didn't look at them.

"Please Doctor." Amy said quietly. "Don't feel…hurt. We love you and this will always be our home but-"

"I understand." He said and turned and smiled at them. "It was only a matter of time before you two realized you're only human."

Amy and Rory tried to smile.

"After River returns, I'll take you home."

Amy frowned. "We don't have to leave that soon."

"No." the Doctor said. "You do, because…it's what's best. For everyone. No reason to draw this out, eh?"

Amy and Rory said nothing. The doors to the police call box opened and River stepped came in. "Well, it's done, time to get on with our lives."

She looked at the faces of her family and her husband. "Did I miss something?"

"We were just saying goodbye." The Doctor said. "Speaking of, it is time someone returned to Stormcage."

River frowned but nodded. "I suppose it is."

"Well, shall we?" the Doctor didn't wait for an answer.

Belle came out of her room when they had landed, holding her head. She stood by River while Rory, Amy, and the Doctor talked in hushed voices. "Wish someone had told me we were going through an asteroid field."

"No, that was just the Doctor." River said. She pushed a strand of hair out of Belle's eyes. "How are you-"

Belle shook her head. "What's the plan?"

"Well, I'm returning to Stormcage for a few weeks, Rory and Amy are going home to have their baby, and you are going back to the house on Fisher Street, I suppose."

Belle nodded. "And the Doctor?"

River glanced at her. "He'll be alone for a little while longer."

Belle nodded. Her godmother hugged her. "I can come back with you."

Belle shook her head. "I think I will be better on my own for a few weeks. Rest."

River pushed the strand of hair out Belle's face again. "Call me if you need me."

"I will."

River hugged her mother and father and allowed the Doctor to walk her out. Reggie was reading a magazine by the cell of her cage. He didn't look up as she walked towards him.

"I's just wonderin' when you'd be back." he said and flipped the page. "Not that I really care, but I gotsta get paid, y'know."

"Yes Reggie." River said. She stepped in her cage and turned to look at her Doctor. "You'll make sure she gets home alright, won't you."

"Of course."

Belle appraised him. "You'll be alright on your own you know. It might do you some good."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, I can run around without shopping for things that will look nicely in their house."

"Yes, that is a plus." River nodded. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "And then again, maybe you won't be on your own."

She closed the cell door, dismissing him. He turned around grinning, wondering what she could mean.

When the Doctor stepped back in, Rory and Amy were standing together, some bags at their feet and a few boxes of trinkets they had collected. Belle was standing off to the side.

"All ready then?" he asked.

They nodded.

"Well, let's go." He loped up to the controls and they jerked into space once again.

Once they landed, it took the Doctor and his best friends a moment to move. Rory opened the door and started setting things on the side walk. No one said anything. The Doctor helped. It took them nearly three minutes. Finally, when they had finished, Amy and Rory turned and looked at their Doctor.

"This doesn't mean you are off the hook," Rory said. "You still have to come visit us, and tell us about all your adventures."

Amy nodded. "Yes, and when the world stops turning, you better be on our doorstep, readying to get us off this rock.

The Doctor said nothing; instead he wrapped his arms around the two and pulled them in for a hug. He wasn't sure how long he stood there with them, but it was long enough for his arms to be sore when he finally let them go. Rory had tears on his cheeks and Amy was sniffling. The Doctor wiped his nose on his sleeve and smiled at them.

"So I'll be around for tea in a few weeks."

Amy laughed. "You'd better. And bring my daughter."

The Doctor frowned. "You're going to start looking like a planet aren't you?"

Rory laughed and Amy slapped his shoulder. "That's not funny."

Rory wrapped an arm around her neck. "You will still be my Amy."

"Just a much bigger version." The Doctor pointed out.

Rory grinned. "Yes, so more to love."

They all laughed and hugged once more. But then it was time. The Doctor turned his back as they began to gather up their boxes. He stepped into the **TARDIS **and watched Amy and Rory walk up the steps to their door, hand in hand. Amy looked back once with a contented smile as Rory unlocked the door. They stepped in and the door closed behind them. They were gone. The Doctor shut the door carefully and slowly, as if he was waiting for them both to push their way back through, laughing at the face he made as they had pretended to say goodbye. But they didn't and he closed the door with a click. He was alone.

But he wasn't alone.

Belle was standing at the bottom of the stair case, her hands folded together as if in prayer, and a nervous expression on her face which made her look just like her mother. _She is _so _much like Rose, how could I not have seen it before?_ The Doctor thought as she stepped forward a bit.

"So where am I taking you Miss Tyler?" he said.

Belle said nothing, just watched him, looking worried. He put the **TARDIS **into gear. "How about we just go out into space for a while, shall we?"

The shipped rocked a bit, making her grab on to the railings as they blasted into space, but even she could tell that the Doctor wasn't into it. Once they were somewhere deep into the stars, the Doctor opened the doors and he waved his arm out to the infinite wonder, offering it to the still silent Belle. "I can take you anywhere in time and space that you want to make home."

Belle hesitantly came over and stood by him. "You have no companions."

_Rubbing salt in the wound already? _"Yes."

"And besides River, who is in prison in most times, I…I have no one left."

"That's not true; we can find a way to get you back to your family."

"That is not possible." Belle said quietly.

"But we can find a way to…"

"But that would put a hole in the Void and even though I would do anything to see them again, they haven't seen me since I was six. They don't know me."

"River was taken from Amy and Rory before she was even a day old, but she still wants to be them!" the Doctor argued.

"River was raised by her parents one way or another, my parents lost their chance."

He was at a lost to what to say.

"Besides, I have something else in mind."

The Doctor met her steady cold blue eyes.

"James is out there somewhere, missing in time, and it is my job to find him Doctor. He was my best friend and…" she couldn't finish.

"You know that could take a long while, don't you? There are more than just stars out there you know."

"It doesn't matter, he's my friend."

"You are so much like your mother." The Doctor said.

Belle smiled. That was the first time anyone had ever told her that. "I like it when you call me Noble. No one has called me that in so long."

"Then that's what I'll call you." The Doctor looked at her seriously. "I have a thousand years' worth of enemies Noble, all of them just waiting for pay back. You could be killed."

"I could have a bookcase fall on me at home. That could kill me. I'm just as safe here."

"You have an increased chance of dying young."

"Not a big deal, who wants to grow old anyways?"

"You might be tortured."

"Try running around Atlantis in heels_ then _you can talk to me about torture."

"You worst nightmares may just come true."

Noble's smile faltered a bit. "My best friend is missing in space and time, my parents think I'm dead, and my primary care giver is murderer; I don't think nightmares apply to me anymore."

"I don't want anyone else to get hurt Noble, especially the daughter of someone I already hurt."

"It's my choice, just like it was theirs."

The Doctor looked out the still open door, into the stars he knew so well. They shined in the distance. He knew that there was a time when all these stars would die; just implode on themselves without a sound. Or their lights would just dim until they went out. Like his would. He looked at Noble, who was waiting for his answer.

Why shouldn't someone be there? Was it selfish to want someone there with him when it happened? He had been alone more than a few times in his regenerations, but during his last one he had never _felt_ it—the loneliness. Noble was the child of the first human he ever loved. She was born into a family of people who had all traveled with him at some point and then practically raised by the woman he cared about now. She had been trained for this since she was born without even knowing it. Why shouldn't it be her?

This would be his last journey, the Siren had said his time was ending. And it would be a good one; he'd make sure of that. With Noble Tyler by his side.

The Doctor nodded. "Where do you think we should look first? Barcelona? I hear they have—"

"—Dogs with no noses." Noble said, falling into place with him. "I was thinking the Neptune Galaxy; James always liked water…"

In the end, the Doctor is never really alone. He does indeed have a thousand years' worth of enemies but he also has a thousand years' worth of friends and people he trusted with his live, all of them spread across the stars. And for the Doctor, remember, an ending is just the beginning of a whole new adventure.

**Well thank you for standing by me for so long! And thank you LinnyLou1993 for being awesome.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Epilogue**_

_**Six Years Later**_

_ Noble ran through the dark, empty corridors of the __**TARDIS**__. Her lungs burned from the cold. But she found her voice. "DOCTOR!" her cries echoed throughout the police box. _

_ Noble rounded the corner and through herself against one of the walls, gasping for breath. The gunshot wound in her leg was beginning to feel as if it were on fire. "Doctor." She half whispered, half begged. She pushed forward, rounding more corners, entering the dark alone, crying for the Doctor._

_ "Noble…" _

_ Noble stopped dead and flattened her back against the nearest wall as her name echoed sing-song like. It was him. She was gasping. She closed her eyes and she felt two silent tears run down her face. He was going to kill her…but not before she found the Doctor. She pushed forward again, determined to find her Doctor, her best friend._

_ "Noble…" he said again, he was closer now._

_ "Oh, God, oh God…" she whispered, as she hurried through the darkness. And then she heard it, the sonic screwdriver. She followed the sound until she saw the Doctor, leaning against the wall. _

_ She rushed towards him. He was clutching his side, which was bloody and he was sweating. _

_ "Doctor," She whispered. "We have to go." She tried to pick him up, but he was too heavy. "Please, you have to try Doctor."_

_ The Doctor brought a hand up and brushed the aqua blue highlight out of her face. "It's time for me to go Noble." He smiled sadly. _

_ She shook her head. "No, there is still time, the Children of Time—"_

_ "Aren't going to make it here soon enough." He said and cringed in pain. _

_ Noble felt the tears fall down her eyes. "No. Please, Doctor. Please."_

_ He nodded, as if in defeat, but not to her. He was not giving into her. "Get as far away as you can." _

_ Noble shook her head, tears fell freely. "No, no, no."_

_ "And don't look back." he pulled himself up straighter. "Don't look back Noble Tyler and don't try and save me."_

_ She shook her head; her words were lost on her lips. He gave her a slight push. "Get him as close to me as possible and then get as far away as possible." He smiled. "This is going to be big."_

_ He pushed her again and she stood. She started backing away. "I love you, Doctor." She said. "You're my best friend. You know that, don't you?"_

_ He nodded. "I know. Go."_

_ She turned and didn't look back as she walked quickly the way she came, until she was at the mouth of the short corridor where her Doctor was laying, dying. She knew why he didn't say it. Because it would hurt too much. She knew that the Doctor loved her, like he had loved Amy and Martha and Donna. Like he always loved. She heard her name called again, but this time it came from right behind her, she could hear him breathing._

_ "Hello there." _

_ She slowly turned and faced her attacker, her eyes burning._

_ "Is the Doctor dead yet?" Asked the shadow, as he walked closer to her._

_ "Yes."_

_ And when he walked into the light, Noble felt her stomach tighten in guilt and heartbreak. James had a sick grin on his face. He was dirty and sweaty. He still held the gun in his bloody hands. "Where is he?"_

_ Noble shook her head. "Go to hell, James."_

_ "I've been there." He said, laughing darkly. "Remember, that's where you left me for years."_

_ "I told you; we tried. For the entire time, we never stopped looking for you."_

_ He shook his head. "Having so much fun along the way. Those memories I saw, those were supposed to be ours. Face it, you gave up."_

_ "I loved you."_

_ He laughed again. "Yeah, so did I."_

_ And then he brought the gun up again, pointing directly at her heart. Noble stepped back, honing her thoughts, connecting with the __**TARDIS**__, the way she had before. And then she disappeared into the wall, and into the next corridor._

_ She felt it before she saw it. It felt like electricity going through her. It was hot and cold. Then she saw it at the end of the hallway she had appeared in; the bright gold light. It rushed all about the small space. She fell to the ground, screaming. No, it was James screaming. He was burning and she could smell it. She listened to the screaming for what felt like hours and then suddenly, it just stopped. She laid there until the hot floor became cool. She could hear someone calling her name. It was her mother, joined by her father, and others. But there was one voice she responded to._

_ "Noble?"_

_ She looked up to the new face with familiar eyes. His loose white shirt was stained with blood and it was too short for him in the arms. He reached down a hand and she took it. He pulled her up; he was taller than her, not much older. He smiled._

_ "It's over Noble, it's all over."_

_ She looked into his eyes, the ones she knew and nodded. But it wasn't over. It was just beginning..._

**Two Days Earlier**

"Doctor."

"I was thinking we should visit an old friend of mine, he lives in the Pearl Galaxy, lovely place, they have wonderful jewelry. All made of diamonds that you can actually eat."

"Doctor."

"Or maybe we should go see River for a few days, I'm sure something terrible has to be happening on earth."

"Doctor."

"Ooooh! Perhaps we should—"

"DOCTOR!"

The Doctor swung around and faced his companion, Noble Tyler. She was staring at the consul monitor. "What is it?"

"Something…Something is…What is this?" She pointed at the screen.

The Doctor moved around her to look over her shoulder. The screen looked the same as it always did, except for the large, black circle in the middle of the screen.

"I…I don't know."

Noble watched as he turned some knobs, pressed some buttons, and listened as the machine whirled, beeped, and screeched.

"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

"You can't just _turn the__** TARDIS**_off, Noble."

"Why?"

"Because then we fall."

"You can fall through space?" she wiggled her nose, a habit of hers since she had gotten a nose ring. "Won't we just sit here, or float around? Anyways, it won't take that long. My laptop turns back on in less than a minute."

"That's a laptop. This is a time machine."

Noble looked closer to the black dot. "What do you think it is?"

"A virus, perhaps.."

"Wait, you mean the **TARDIS** can get the common computer virus?"

"No, of course not, that's just silly. We might have picked it up when we were visiting Reggie when he got his appendix removied." He gave her a look that made it clear he thought she was an idiot. "We were in the universe's biggest hospital. You don't think that a virus could exist there can is an airborne computer virus?"

"So it's the common cold?" she said dubiously.

The Doctor stared the screen, trying to make sense of the random black dot. "But, the **TARDIS **should be protected from anything like that. I don't understand. What is it old girl?"

Noble rolled her eyes. Every time the Doctor started talking to the **TARDIS**, Noble felt like telling him to get a room. Because _no one _should call an inanimate object 'sexy', no matter how attractive the idea seems.

"Try turning it off and on again." Noble said again, leaning against the consul next to the Doctor.

"Well, I might as well—it moved!" the Doctor moved closer to the screen, his nose nearly touching it. He moved his head back and forth. "It's…It's following me."

Noble felt a vibe coming over her. "Doctor, what does it mean?"

"I think something's watching us."

**Okay, I'm working on this again. Yes, I know it's been a while. But the hell? What do you guys think of Clara?**


End file.
